According to Turkey’s Defense Ministry, the 18 Syrian soldiers captured earlier this week were
released along the Syrian border, following talks with and reassurances
from the Russian government. Two of the soldiers were wounded and had
been treated in a Turkish hospital.
The 18 were captured in the border town of Ras al-Ayn. Six other
soldiers were killed in Turkish attacks near the area. The Defense
Ministry suggested there was concern that the soldiers might’ve been
Kurds..
Turkey’s President Erdogan says that Russia’s President Putin reassured
him that they were real soldiers, and that Kurds would not be allowed in
the border area “wearing regime clothes,” which is why Turkey decided
to release them.
The Syrian Kurds have withdrawn their fighters from the 30 km safe zone
along the border, though the Syrian government still retains some towns
within the Turkish-claimed area. How this will be handled is unclear,
though with Turkey and Russia conducting joint patrols, they probably
won’t be attacking Syrian territory as much as when it was just Turkish
troops and rebels working together.
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