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Conflict in Syria

Turkish operation in Syria ending, further developments depend on the Kurds — Lavrov

The Erdogan government claimed that its goal in Syria is to clear the border area of what it calls 'terrorists’

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Vladimir Smirnov/TASSS

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

© Vladimir Smirnov/TASSS

SOCHI, October 22. /TASS/. Turkey’s Peace Spring military operation in northeastern Syria is ending, further developments depend on the Kurds withdrawing their military formations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday on the outcomes of the talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

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Putin says talks with Erdogan unblocked momentous decisions on Syria

"The operation is coming to an end, now everything will depend on whether the agreements will be adhered to, namely regarding the disengagement of forces and equipment, and the withdrawal of Kurdish military formations," Lavrov stressed.

The talks between Putin and Erdogan lasted for over six hours. The leaders discussed Operation Peace Spring, launched by Turkey on October 9. The Erdogan government claimed that its goal is to clear the border area of what it calls 'terrorists’ (Turkey’s broad label of the Kurdish forces) and establish a 30 km-long buffer zone in Syria’s north, where over 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey would resettle. Ankara’s incursion into Syria has triggered an outcry in the region and across the world.

On October 17, the United States, represented by Vice President Mike Pence, reached a deal with Erdogan to pause Operation Peace Spring. Turkey consented to a 120-hour ceasefire so that Kurdish units making up the coalition of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) could leave the areas of the border security zone that Ankara is attempting to create.

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Syrian conflict

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