Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held meetings on Wednesday on the situation in northern Syria’s Idlib Province. The two discussed cooperation on stabilizing the province.
Idlib Province is the last real rebel-dominated part of Syria. It’s a
mess, and not just because the rebels have been packed into the area
from several evacuation deals elsewhere in the country. Al-Qaeda has
also been on a rampage recently, seizing much of the province from other
rebel groups.
Al-Qaeda’s fight has chiefly been against Turkey-backed rebels, which is
why Turkey is keen to stabilize the situation. The Russians made a deal
with Turkey to hold off on fighting in Idlib, but clearly can’t keep
that deal in place if al-Qaeda keeps spreading in the area.
In addition, the two sides also discussed the US proposal of a “safe
zone” between Turkey and Syrian Kurdistan. Russia has not been directly
involved in this plan, so far. The US proposed it to keep Turkey and the
Kurdish YPG separated, though Turkey intends to still invade that part
of Syria following a US pullout.
Russia and Turkey to Cooperate in Trying to Stabilize Syria’s Idlib Province
Rebel-held area is increasingly unstable amid rebel infighting
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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