Russia wants to patrol with Turkey in the Syrian border area to Turkey.
(Photo: AFP)
Sochi, Beirut Turkey extends the cease-fire for northern Syria, initially scheduled for Tuesday, by another 150 hours or more than six days. The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after a meeting of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi.
Putin called on Turkey and Syria to engage in a dialogue in the Syrian conflict. Stability can only be achieved in Syria, if the territorial integrity of the country is guaranteed, Putin said after more than six hours of negotiations with Erdogan.
Foreign troops who were there without Syria's consent would have to leave the country. Agreements were reached at the meeting to resolve fate in northern Syria, Putin said. Foreign Minister Lavrov said that Russia is organizing patrols with Turkey in the designated security zone in the Syrian border region with Turkey.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Kurds reported the complete withdrawal of their fighters from a 120-kilometer border between Tell Abjad and Ras al-Ain. They fulfilled a condition of the US-mediated original ceasefire. From senior officials in the White House, the information was confirmed.
A leader of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Redur Chalil, said that outside the evacuated zone, Turkish troops continued their attacks and captured 15 Kurdish villages off the border town of Kobane.
Turkey had threatened to resume its offensive if the Kurdish fighters did not withdraw completely from the border strip before announcing an extension of the ceasefire. It is sticking to its goal of keeping Kurdish fighters out of the entire Turkish-Syrian border.
More: Foreign Minister Maas reacted snappily to the Defense Minister's push for international protection forces in northern Syria. But experts also see opportunities.
. (tagsToTranslate) Syria (t) Turkey (t) Russia (t) Foreign Policy with Land (t) Warfare (t) International Politics (t) Vladimir Putin (t) Recep Tayyip Erdogan (t) Sergey Lavrov