All news

Turkey, Russia to continue Idlib talks on Thursday

Earlier in the day, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar commented on the Idlib talks, saying that the two countries’ defense officials "are maintaining contacts in a positive and constructive manner"

ANKARA, March 11. /TASS/. Turkish and Russian defense officials will continue talks about the Syrian region of Idlib on Thursday, March 12, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

"Today’s stage of negotiation between the Turkish and Russian military delegations at the National Defense Ministry has been completed. The talks will be continued tomorrow," the defense ministry said in a press release.

Earlier in the day, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar commented on the Idlib talks. According to the minister, the two countries’ defense officials "are maintaining contacts in a positive and constructive manner." He recalled that Russia and Turkey "have plans to start joint patrols along the M4 highway on March 15."

Meanwhile, on Tuesday Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu claimed that Ankara "will be patrolling [the area] to the north of the M4 highway and Russians to the south of it."

At the talks in Moscow on March 5, the Russian and Turkish presidents, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, agreed a ceasefire along with other measures aimed at resolving the crisis in Syria’s Idlib region. Under the agreements, fighting should be stopped along the entire contact line after ceasefire comes into effect on March 6. Starting on March 15, Russia and Turkey are to start jointly patrolling the area along the M4 highway, where a security corridor will be established. Moscow and Ankara reiterated commitment to Syria’s sovereignty and agreed to continue fight against terrorism.