Turkey, Russia agree on details of truce in Idlib, Syria

By Fahri Aksut, Havva Kara Aydin and Burak Bir

ANKARA (AA) - The Turkish and Russian delegates agreed on details of the new cease-fire in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, Turkey’s defense minister said on Friday.

Four-day talks between the Turkish and Russian military delegations ended at the Turkish National Defense Ministry in the capital Ankara.

At the meeting, a document elaborating on the framework of the Idlib cease-fire was signed by Turkish and Russian delegates and it entered into force, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar told reporters.

He said the first joint patrol of Turkey and Russia on the M4 highway in Idlib will be conducted on March 15.

Akar also said Turkey and Russia will establish joint coordination centers in the region.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin last week agreed on a new cease-fire for Idlib starting as of 00:01 on March 6.

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.

Stressing the importance of the cease-fire, Akar said there are very good indications that immigration from Idlib stopped and returns even started.