1st Turkish-Russian joint land patrol carried out in N.Syria

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - The first Turkish-Russian joint land patrol was carried out on M4 highway in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, Turkish National Defense Ministry announced Sunday.

The ministry said on Twitter that the joint land patrol was carried out with participation of land and air elements as part of the agreement reached in Moscow between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

On Friday, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar announced the date of the first joint patrol of Turkey and Russia, adding that the two countries will establish joint coordination centers in the region.

Erdogan and Putin on March 5 agreed on a new cease-fire for Idlib.

Under the deal, all military activities are to end in Idlib with the establishment of a security corridor 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) to the north and south of the key M4 highway.