Turkey and Russia are discussing the establishment of a secure zone within Syria’s northwestern Idlib region where Syrians displaced by fighting can shelter during the winter, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Wednesday.
Akar said attacks by Syrian government forces were continuing in the Idlib region despite a Jan. 12 ceasefire agreement reached by Turkey and Russia.
Turkey had strengthened an observation post, which has been surrounded by Syrian forces in Idlib, Akar added.
Syrian forces have been besieging the Turkish observation point in Sarman, southeast of Idlib.
The Turkish army has pushed reinforcements several times to this point, which is one of 12 points set up by the Turkish army under the May 2017 Astana-reached agreement to reduce escalation in Idlib.
A ceasefire was announced in Idlib on Sunday, following an agreement between Russia and Turkey. The latter has announced that the ceasefire was proceeding well and no violations have been detected by the regime or the armed opposition factions.
In other news, pro-Syrian regime media have denied rumors about an agreement with Turkey to work jointly against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).
Syria’s official news agency (Sana) quoted a government source as saying that talks between Turkey and Syria’s intelligence heads, Hakan Fidan and Ali Mamlouk, were confined to the Turkish withdrawal from all Syrian territories.
Fidan and Mamlouk discussed the ceasefire in Syria’s Idlib and possible coordination against the Kurdish presence in northern Syria, Sana reported from Reuters.
The discussions included “the possibility of working together against YPG in the East of the Euphrates river,” Reuters quoted an anonymous Turkish official as saying.
In this context, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley met with Chief of the Turkish General Staff Gen. Yasar Guler in Brussels, Belgium.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the NATO Military Committee in Chiefs of Defense Session at NATO Headquarters.
Both officials discussed the security situation in Syria and the importance of US-Turkish cooperation in the region, a statement read, stressing that the US values its strategic bilateral relationship with Ankara.
Chiefs of the general staff of 29 NATO countries visited Brussels for two days to attend the NATO Military Committee in Chiefs of Defense session and discuss the crucial matters on the alliance's agenda.
The NATO military chiefs discussed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, peace forces in Kosovo and relations with Russia.
