Russia, Iran and Turkey will post observers on the edge of a
de-escalation zone in northern Syria’s Idlib region largely controlled
by radical militants, the three nations said on Friday.
The move is part of a broader plan under which Moscow, Tehran and Ankara
will set up four such zones in different parts of Syria, an idea
described by critics as de facto partitioning of the war-torn nation.
While they hailed the agreement as a breakthrough after months of talks,
Moscow, Tehran and Ankara provided very few details and said some
issues were still to be worked out.
They denied charges of aiming to partition the country, however, saying
the zones where they plan to deploy forces would be temporary, although
they could be extended beyond an initial six-month term.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry and Russian and Iranian diplomats who attended
trilateral talks in Kazakhstan said on Friday their observers would be
stationed in "safe zones” along the border of the Idlib de-escalation
area. The Turkish ministry said in a statement the observers’ mission
will be to prevent clashes between "the (Syrian) regime and the
opposition forces, and any violations of the truce.”
Russian negotiator Alexander Lavrentyev said the trio will each send
about 500 observers to Idlib, and the Russians will be military
policemen.
Idlib province, in northwest Syria on the border with Turkey, is largely
controlled by an opposition alliance spearheaded by the former Al-Qaeda
offshoot Al-Nusra Front.
