p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.7px 0.0px; line-height: 15.7px; font: 15.0px Calibri; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} span.s2 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none; color: #1255cc; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #1255cc} span.s3 {font: 14.0px 'Noto Sans'; font-kerning: none} The Kremlin has fired back at Turkey’s complaints that Moscow is violating its commitments in the northeastern Syrian province of Idlib.

"Russia is in full compliance with the Sochi agreements on the Idlib zone. At the same time, we regret to say that the situation is far from perfect," Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the press Jan. 31.  

He added, “A large number of terrorists remain in the area and continue aggressive attacks on the Syrian army and Russia’s Khmeimim air base. It causes us huge concern."

Why it matters:  On Jan. 29, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at Russia’s actions in Idlib and argued the Astana process had become “moribund.” Erdogan said Moscow “doesn’t comply” with the 2018 Sochi agreement establishing a demilitarized zone around the area. Al-Monitor’s Ezgi Akin observed this is the first time perhaps since 2016 the Turkish president had openly criticized Moscow.