Russia says 'determined' to continue cooperation with Turkey on Syria

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia is “determined” to continue close cooperation and coordinated work with Turkey on diplomatic and military lines to fully normalize the situation in Syria, the country’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

The Syrian settlement traditionally occupies one of the central places in dialogue between Moscow and Ankara, Maria Zakharova told a news conference in Moscow.

She said: “In particular, we are talking about the northeast of the country, the province of Idlib,” which falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an agreement between Turkey and Russia in March 2020.

Zakharova recalled that both the countries are initiators and members of the Astana format (talks aimed to end Syrian crisis), stressing that they “are firmly determined to continue contributing to the advancement of the political process in Syria” on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

She welcomed “the beginning of humanitarian supplies to Idlib through the line of contact in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2585 and the norms of international humanitarian law.”​​​​​​​

The Syrian civil war started in 2011 with peaceful demonstrations against Bashar al-Assad that were suppressed with brutal force by his regime.​​​​​​​

According to the UN human rights chief, more than 350,000 people have been killed in the over 10 years of conflict in Syria, but the tally is “certainly an undercount."

Over 6.6 million Syrians have also been forced to leave the country over the past decade. Turkey alone hosts approximately 3.7 million of these people – more than any other country in the world.