Turkey, Russia agree to prevent ceasefire violations in Syria's Idlib

Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said he spoke with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu during which they discussed measures to prevent ceasefire violations in Syria's Idlib province.

"We have agreed to take measures to maintain the ceasefire," Akar told reporters on Thursday about the phone conversation.

Noting that the discussion was "constructive", the Minister said "we aim permanently to hold the ceasefire in the region", reports Xinhua news agency.

On Monday, Turkey expressed concern to the Russian envoy in Ankara over recent attacks in Idlib.

Akar also informed that more than 200 terrorists had been eliminated in anti-terror operations mostly in northern Syria since March 1.

Ankara and Moscow agreed in 2018 to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone where acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

The two sides agreed on a protocol on March 5, 2020, to initiate a ceasefire and to observe it through a joint patrol mission on the M4 highway, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

Idlib is home to around 4 million Syrians and some armed terror groups.

Turkey is concerned about a fresh massive humanitarian influx as a result of the Russian-Syrian military offensive in the region.

--IANS

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