Turkey is negotiating with Russia in order to declare a new ceasefire south of Syria’s Idlib, Turkish Minister of Defense Hulusi Akar revealed on May 28.
“We continue our contacts to stop this drama as soon as possible, to ensure the safety of people, reinstate the ceasefire and bring stability to the region,” the Daily Sabah quoted Akar as saying.
The Turkish minister said that he expects Moscow to use its “influence” on Damascus to stop the ongoing Syrian Arab Army (SAA) military operation around Idlib. He also stressed that Ankara will continue its de-escalation efforts in Idlib within the framework of agreements made in the Astana Process and the Sochi Conference.
Earlier this month, a temporary ceasefire was imposed around Idlib. The Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF) and the Russian Aerospace Forces even halted their operations over the region.
However, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the former branch of al-Qaeda in Syria, and its Turkish-backed allies took advantage of the ceasefire to launched a counter attack in northern Hama. The terrorists also resumed their rocket attacks on the Russian Hmeimim airbase on the Syrian coast.
These violations forced the SAA and its allies to resume their military operations, including aerial attacks on militants’ positions throughout “greater Idlib.”
Despite this, Moscow and Damascus could accept another ceasefire agreement, especially if Ankara ensures that HTS and its allies will hold their attacks this time.