BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th March, 2020) NATO has noticed a decrease in violence in the Syrian province of Idlib since bilateral talks were held between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday, the military alliance's secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday after meeting with the Turkish president.
"Turkey is an important and valued ally contributing to our shared security in many ways. We have just discussed the serious security situation in Syria ... The ceasefire in Idlib is holding and we have seen a decrease in violence over the past days. It is important to build on this to ensure protection of civilians and secure access for humanitarian aid," Stoltenberg remarked.
The secretary general reaffirmed NATO's support for Turkey, adding that the alliance will continue to provide an air and naval presence. Stoltenberg also stated that he welcomed further dialogue between Turkey and the European Union regarding the number of refugees and migrants gathered on the country's border with Greece.
On Thursday, Erdogan traveled to Moscow for talks with Putin amid an escalation of violence in Idlib province. A joint document was adopted with both sides agreeing on a ceasefire to commence at midnight on the same day. Both parties will also establish a security corridor 3.7 miles north and south of the M4 highway that connects the provinces of Latakia and Aleppo.
Syrian government forces launched an offensive in Idlib province in December to recapture territory in the region still controlled by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist organization (formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, banned in Russia).
The terrorist group launched a counter-attack on February 27, to which the Syrian Armed Forces replied. The Turkish military, which according to Russia's Ministry of Defense should not have been in the region, was also hit by strikes during the Syrian government army's attacks, resulting in the deaths of 33 Turkish troops.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Turkey has failed to honor its commitments in Idlib, agreed upon in a memorandum signed in 2018 in which Moscow and Ankara agreed to take effective measures to ensure a stable ceasefire and to conduct joint patrols.
In particular, Lavrov stated that Turkey has failed to distinguish between Syria's armed opposition, which is open for dialogue, and terrorist groups in the region. Ankara has insisted that it implements its commitments.
