SOCHI, September 17. /TASS/. Moscow and Ankara have agreed to pool efforts to free the demilitarized that is to be established in Syria’s Idlib governorate from all radical groups, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia’s Black Sea resort city of Sochi.
"The idlib problem should be resolved in the spirit of the Astana processes. The territory that is controlled by the Syrian army and opposition is to be demilitarized," he said. "Jointly with Russia, we will spare no effort to free these territories from all radical groups."
"In order to prevent provocations from third parties, Turkey and Russia will jointly patrol this territory," the Turkish leader noted. "Turkey will reinforce its observation points in the de-escalation zone, which will help prevent a humanitarian tragedy that might be triggered by combat actions."
Terrorists in Syria control not only the Idlib governorate, Erdogan said.
"At the meeting, we also agreed that the territory controlled by terrorists [in Syria] is not limited by the Idlib goverorate only," he said, adding that major threat in Syria is coming from armed self-defense groups known for ethnic purges in this region. "Apart from the Idlib governorate, this terrorist organization is a source of destabilization in eastern Europe. It is necessary to exterminate this terrorist organization," he stressed.
Idlib is the only large region in Syria that is still controlled by illegal armed groups. In 2017, a northern de-escalation zone was established in Idlib to give shelter to militants and their families who are reluctant to voluntarily surrender arms.
According to United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, about 10,000 Jabhat al-Nusra and al-Qaeda (both outlawed in Russia) militants are currently staying in the region. When Damascus finally regains control of the governorate, it will put an end to the large-scale armed confrontation in Syria.