Turkey says "no need" to restart Syria offensive after deadline expires
The talks between the presidents of Russia and Turkey lasted six and a half hours and a deal was sealed over the Turkish "peace spring operation" in Northeast Syria. The deal suggests Putin only allowed actual Turkish presence in Northern Syria within 10km depth, which was agreed by Turkey and Assad regime in Adana agreement in 1998.
As per Adana Agreement, Russia will participate in the safe zone agreement, alongside Turkey; YPG will leave all positions 30km from Turkey's border within 150hrs (except Qamishli, Tel Rifat & Manbij); After that, joint RU-Turkish army patrols will begin says Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The Turkish military operation in northern Syria"is ending, and everything will depend now on the implementation of these agreements," Lavrov said in Sochi.
As the evening deadline passed, Turkey said there was "no need" to relaunch the offensive, against the earlier threats that Turkish army will hit Kurds if they do not withdraw from the border with Turkey.
Meanwhile, Syria's Kurds have withdraw from a strip of land bordering Turkey in compliance with a deal to stem a Turkish assault. The Syrian Kurdish and Arab families flee Darbasiyah on the border between Syria and Turkey.
Russia and Turkey agreed to ensure Kurdish forces withdraw from areas close to Syria's border with Turkey and to launch joint patrols, in a deal hailed as "historic" by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkish Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin announced the deal late Tuesday in Russia's southern city of Sochi, just hours ahead of a deadline for Turkey to restart its assault on Syrian Kurdish forces.
As the evening deadline passed, Turkey said there was "no need" to relaunch the offensive, against the earlier threats that Turkish army will hit Kurds if they do not withdraw from the border with Turkey.
"no need" to restart Syria offensive after deadline expires if the kurds are still within the 30km of the Turkish-syrian border.
The agreement cements Russia and Turkey's roles as the main foreign players in Syria, after US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of American forces from the country's north earlier this month.
Kremlin accuses America of betraying Syrian Kurds at the same time "encouraging" Kurds to stay near border and fight with Turkey.
The agreement cements Russia and Turkey's roles as the main foreign players in Syria, after US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of American forces from the country's north earlier this month.
Kremlin accuses America of betraying Syrian Kurds at the same time "encouraging" Kurds to stay near border and fight with Turkey.
Meanwhile, Syria's Kurds have withdraw from a strip of land bordering Turkey in compliance with a deal to stem a Turkish assault. The Syrian Kurdish and Arab families flee Darbasiyah on the border between Syria and Turkey.
From noon (0900 GMT) on Wednesday, Russian military police and Syrian border guards will "facilitate the removal" of Kurdish fighters and their weapons from within 30 kilometres (18 miles) of the border.
This withdrawal must be finalised within 150 hours, according to a text of the agreement released after the talks.
This withdrawal must be finalised within 150 hours, according to a text of the agreement released after the talks.
Here is the complete text of Turkish, Russian agreement on Northern Syria, that pushed YPG 30km from Turkish, Syria border:
Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu said Russia has been an actor in Syria for a long time. So we will work together on the return of immigrants.
Kremlin affirmed that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has pledged his full support for the Turkish-Syrian agreement on northern Syria.
Putin said the decisions were "very important, if not crucial, to allowing us to resolve the acute situation on the Syrian-Turkish border."
In a phone call to the Russian leader, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in reference to the Kurds that "those with separatist designs were responsible for what events have come to".
However, he also stressed "his complete refusal of any invasion of Syrian land under any name or pretext", Syrian state news agency SANA said.
Assad has repeatedly said he will eventually restore government control over all parts of Syria.
Russia is a key ally of Assad and has demanded that Turkey respect the country's territorial integrity. As the US troops began to withdraw last week, Russian forces moved in to support the Syrian army, whose help against Turkey was requested by the Kurds.
Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu said Russia has been an actor in Syria for a long time. So we will work together on the return of immigrants.
Kremlin affirmed that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has pledged his full support for the Turkish-Syrian agreement on northern Syria.
Putin said the decisions were "very important, if not crucial, to allowing us to resolve the acute situation on the Syrian-Turkish border."
In a phone call to the Russian leader, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in reference to the Kurds that "those with separatist designs were responsible for what events have come to".
However, he also stressed "his complete refusal of any invasion of Syrian land under any name or pretext", Syrian state news agency SANA said.
Assad has repeatedly said he will eventually restore government control over all parts of Syria.
Russia is a key ally of Assad and has demanded that Turkey respect the country's territorial integrity. As the US troops began to withdraw last week, Russian forces moved in to support the Syrian army, whose help against Turkey was requested by the Kurds.
Erdogan said last week he was not bothered by the Damascus regime's return as what mattered to Ankara was pushing back the Kurdish fighters from the safe zone. Despite being on the opposite sides of the Syria conflict, Turkey and Russia have been working together to find a solution to the war.
Tuesday's agreement said the two countries were determined "to combat terrorism in all forms... and to disrupt separatist agendas in Syrian territory".
The agreement said efforts would also be launched for the return of refugees to Syria "in a safe and voluntary manner". Ankara has said some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees in Turkey can be rehoused inside the safe zone.
After decades of marginalisation, Syria's Kurds have largely stayed out of the country's eight-year civil war, instead building their own institutions in the northeast of the country -- but they insist they never wanted secession.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the area of the "safe zone" was calm late Tuesday.
Additional source: Yahoo
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