Turkey, Russia agree to buffer zone in Syria’s Idlib
Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan said they will create a demilitarized zone to separate rebels from Syrian forces in what Turkey believes will prevent an attack on the opposition stronghold.
In a major diplomatic win for Ankara, the leaders of Russia and Turkey on Monday agreed to enforce a demilitarized zone in Syria’s Idlib province to forestall a bombardment of the opposition’s last stronghold.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the new buffer zone, measuring 15-20 kilometers (9-12 miles) wide, would separate territories controlled by rebels in Idlib from those held by Syrian government soldiers and would be patrolled by Turkish and Russian troops. The zone will go into effect in mid-October, Putin said.
Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib is the final rebel-held enclave in Syria, wracked by a seven-year war that has killed a half million people and displaced more than half of the country’s population.
Retaking Idlib could spell victory for President Bashar al-Assad, but would also unleash a humanitarian disaster for the province’s 3 million or more inhabitants. The United Nations has warned an offensive in the province could spark this century’s worst humanitarian disaster.
