Turkish, Russian Defense Ministers Reaffirm Commitment To Agreements On Syria - Statement

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th June, 2019) Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar held phone talks with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Monday in which the ministers reaffirmed their two countries' commitment to the agreements reached in Sochi and during the Astana process on the de-escalation of violence in Syria, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

"[Turkish] Defense Minister Hulusi Akar held phone talks today with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. ... During the talks the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to the terms of the agreements reached in Sochi and Astana [now called Nur-Sultan]. The two sides exchanged views on measures that should be taken in order to attain stability, peace and ceasefire in the [Syrian] region," the ministry said.

The statement said that the two ministers emphasized regional security as a top priority in their efforts to de-escalate the violence in Syria.

In early May, terrorists increased the frequency of attacks on the Syrian provinces of Hama, Aleppo and Latakia. They have also been attempting to attack the positions of the Syrian army in the region. The Syrian government forces have responded by attacking terrorists in the province of Idlib.

Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with the government forces fighting against numerous opposition groups as well as militant and terrorist organizations. Russia and Turkey, along with Iran, are guarantors of the ceasefire in Syria.