Turkey, Russia Working To Create Coordination Center On Syria's Idlib - Turkish Defense Minister Gen. Hulusi Akar

Turkey and Russia are working jointly on setting up a center on coordinating the activities in Syria's de-escalation zone of Idlib, Turkish Defense Minister Gen. Hulusi Akar said on Thursday

ANKARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th March, 2019) Turkey and Russia are working jointly on setting up a center on coordinating the activities in Syria's de-escalation zone of Idlib, Turkish Defense Minister Gen. Hulusi Akar said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Russia's Defense Ministry said that Russian combat planes had delivered a high-precision airstrike against a weapons depot belonging to the Nusra Front (terrorist group banned in Russia) in Syria's Idlib to thwart an attack on Russian airbase in Hmeimim with the use of aerial drones. The ministry specified that the strike had been coordinated with Turkey.

"Turkey and Russia are working to create a joint center for coordinating activities in Idlib. The agreement with the Russian counterpart has paved the way for organizing joint patrols," Akar said, commenting on the implementation of the agreement signed by him and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, as quoted by the Anadolu news agency.

The Idlib de-escalation zone now remains the last major stronghold of terrorists and armed rebels in Syria. In September 2018, ceasefire guarantors Russia and Turkey agreed to set up in Idlib a 9-12 mile deep demilitarized zone, which would be cleared of heavy weapons and militants.

However, despite progress in the withdrawal of weapons and fighters from the area, remaining militants regularly commit ceasefire violations by shelling nearby provinces. Moreover, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in January that the Nusra Front had taken over around 70 percent of the demilitarized zone.