Russian President Vladimir Putin urges Turkey to crack down on terrorist groups in the Syrian rebel region of Idlib. "We see that the Turkish partners are doing a great deal to reduce the threat of terrorism from there," Putin said after meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Moscow.
But joint efforts are needed to finally eliminate the danger. Erdogan and Putin had already negotiated a ceasefire for the province of Idlib last year, averting a Syrian and Russian attack on the area. Recently, however, the jihadist group Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) had again achieved terrain gains in the region.
The announced withdrawal of US troops from eastern and southern Syria was welcomed by Putin and Erdogan. Erdogan made it clear that the local Kurdish associations, previously allies of the US, are an opponent for him. The main task for Turkey in Syria is the fight against the terrorist group Islamic State (IS) and the Kurdish militia YPG, he said.
The establishment of a security zone in northern Syria, however, the heads of state could not continue to agree. Instead, Putin declared his willingness to host more summits between Turkey and Russia. He also promised Iran to participate in future arrangements. Then again the formation of a committee is to be negotiated, which is to develop a new Syrian constitution.