MOSCOW, February 20. /TASS/. Moscow and Ankara remain in contact on the situation in Syria’s Idlib province, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday.
"We are in contact on a daily basis through various channels, particularly through diplomats and military experts. Consultations continue without interruption," she stated in response to a question.
"We maintain contact through embassies and military experts on the ground, the ministers hold telephone conversations, and so on. In addition, each party assesses the statements the other party makes. As for joint visits by delegations, they take place when the need arises, and in fact, the need may arise at any time, as well as [they may] be postponed," Zakharova noted.
When commenting on the Turkish authorities’ ultimatums to Damascus, she pointed out that Syria was a sovereign country. "A thing to remember is that the Syrian Armed Forces are on their own soil. This is the main thing. The Syrian army certainly cooperates with the Russian military and servicemen from other countries, but the international community needs to remember this main thing," the Russian diplomat added.
Idlib tensions
The situation in the Syrian province of Idlib escalated after the Russian and Turkish militaries had made another attempt to ensure a ceasefire. In response, terrorists increased attacks, killing both Russian and Turkish military experts. The Syrian army took action against extremists, seizing the town of Saraqib on February 5.
In the morning of February 11, Syrian opposition forces supported by Turkey launched large-scale attacks on Syrian government troops, particularly on Saraqib and the Nayrab settlement. The fighting also involved supporters of the Jabhat al-Nusra terror group (outlawed in Russia). Syrian troops thwarted the attacks, while militants suffered substantial losses.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier on Wednesday that Ankara was ready to tap all of its military capabilities in case of an operation in Idlib. He added that such an operation was only a matter of time as all preparations for it had been completed.
Two rounds of talks between Russian and Turkish officials took place in Ankara on February 8 and 10. The parties focused on tensions in the Idlib de-escalation zone. The next two rounds of talks were held in Moscow on February 17-18. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that "if the Moscow negotiations produce no results, then talks between the presidents [of Turkey and Russia] may take place in the coming days."