SOCHI, Russia: The leaders of Turkey and Russia said on Monday they had agreed to create a demilitarized buffer zone in Syria's Idlib province to separate Syrian government troops from rebel forces, with Turkish and Russian soldiers patrolling the zone to ensure it is respected.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking after talks with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, said the agreement was that all heavy weapons be withdrawn from the zone, and that "radically-minded" rebels, including the Nusra front, would have to pull out of the zone.

The demilitarized zone will come into force by Oct. 15, Putin told reporters. </s> THE PRESIDENTS OF Russia and Turkey have said they had agreed to create a “demilitarised zone” around Syria’s Idlib, in a move aimed at preventing a military assault on the rebel-held province.

“We have decided to create a demilitarised zone some 15 to 20 kilometres deep along the line of contact between the armed opposition and regime troops by 15 October of this year,” President Vladimir Putin said after more than four hours of talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

This would entail a “withdrawal of all radical fighters” from Idlib including the Al-Nusra Front, Putin said.

The two leaders also agreed on the withdrawal of “heavy weaponry from this zone”, including tanks, multiple launch rocket systems, and rocket launchers belonging to all armed groups, Putin added.

“Control in the demilitarised zone will be organised together with mobile patrol groups of Turkish contingents and contingents of Russian military police,” he said.

By the end of the year, transportation routes between Latakia and Aleppo as well as Latakia and Hama must be restored, Putin added.

Erdogan said the measures would “prevent a humanitarian crisis”.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the agreement between Putin and Erdogan meant that no military action would be taken against Idlib, Russian news agencies reported.

Russia-backed forces of the Syrian regime have massed around Idlib province in recent weeks.

That sparked fears of an imminent air and ground attack to retake the last major opposition bastion. </s> The world once again was taken to the brink of World War 3 Monday night, and the situation is still extremely dangerous. A massive wide-ranging assault on multiple Syrian provinces, including the coastal cities of Latakia and Tartus, occurred Monday evening reportedly by Israel and possibly with the help of France or the US, though the Pentagon is denying any US assistance during the assault.

With Syrian and Russian air defenses responding during the over hour-long attack which targeted among other things an alleged chemical weapons research center, and in the confusion of missiles cross the sky, a Russian maritime patrol plane was shot down with 14 personnel on board. The Pentagon is claiming it was Syrian defense which "accidentally" downed the plane, while Russia is pointing out its radar observed a French frigate firing in the area just before the plane went down.

Regardless, this is an incredibly dangerous situation which puts world powers closer to major war. And crucially, the whole event came immediately after Russia and Turkey announced they've agreed to establish a "demilitarized zone" around Idlib.

The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced just hours before the reported Israeli attack was initiated that Russia and Turkey have agreed to establish a 15-20km demilitarized zone along Syrian government positions.

This means the widely reported Syrian-Russian offensive is off for the time being, according to the Russian MoD.

But this raises the following questions given the timing of Monday's night's escalation: with Putin negotiating for a 'world power deescalation' over Idlib after the US threatened attack, was Monday's attack part of an Israeli (and Western allies) strategy for keeping regime change in Damascus on the table? Why escalate now?

This at the very least appears a conscious effort to keep the fires burning in Syria, to prevent Putin from being in the driver's seat, and to continue to provoke hostilities with the Tehran-Damascus axis, and to further keep alive the possibility of the eventual military ouster of Assad.

After Monday's meeting with President Erdogan in Sochi, Putin related to reporters the details of the Russia-Turkey-Syria demilitarization deal: "At the meeting, we discussed in detail this situation (in the Idlib governorate) and decided to establish a 15-20km-wide demilitarized zone along the contact line between government troops and the armed opposition by October 15, 2018 and evacuate radical militants, including Jabhat al-Nusra," he said.

Putin explained that at the Turkish president’s initiative, there will be a planned "withdrawal from this zone heavy weapons, tanks, multiple missile launcher systems, artillery systems and mortars of all opposition groups" by October 10". "Control in the demilitarized zone will be exercised by mobile patrol groups of Turkish units and units of Russian military police," Putin said.

He added that the sides agreed to "resume transit traffic along the Aleppo-Latakia and Aleppo-Hama highways by the end of 2018, also at the initiative of the Turkish side."

"Russia and Turkey are working closely to resolve the Syrian crisis, to strengthen the ceasefire and improve the humanitarian situation," Putin said. Putin further said the deal involves Syria agreeing to "coordinated solutions," but that the details of the deal are still being worked out with Damascus.

"In general, the Syrian leadership supports this approach," he said. "We will hold additional consultations with the Syrian authorities soon."

"Russia and Turkey reiterated their commitment to continue anti-terrorism efforts in Syria in any of its forms or manifestations," Putin stressed. "We agreed that practical implementation of the steps we plan will give a fresh impetus to the process of political settlement of the Syrian conflict and will make it possible to invigorate efforts in the Geneva format and will help restore peace in Syria."

Putin also emphasized that the sides will work together to root out terrorists across Syria.

But given Monday night's massive escalation, it doesn't appear Israel or its Western allies want to see to this deal take effect. </s> The leaders of Russia and Turkey agreed Monday to establish a demilitarized zone in Syria’s Idlib region, the last major stronghold of anti-government rebels where fears had been running high of a devastating offensive by government forces.

READ MORE: Stage set for final bloody showdown in Syria — a ‘catastrophe’ in the making

The zone will be established by Oct. 15 and be 15-20 kilometres deep, with troops from Russia and NATO-member Turkey conducting coordinated patrols, President Vladimir Putin said at the end of a more than three-hour meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi.

The deal marked a significant agreement between the two leaders and effectively delays an offensive by Syria and its Russian and Iranian allies, one that Turkey fears would create a humanitarian crisis near its border.

Putin said “radical militants” would have to withdraw from the zone. Among them would be those from the al-Qaida-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — Arabic for Levant Liberation Committee. The group denies it is linked to al-Qaida.

It was not immediately clear exactly how the deal would be implemented in the province, which is home to more than three million Syrians and an estimated 60,000 rebel fighters from various groups.

“I believe that with this agreement we prevented a great humanitarian crisis in Idlib,” Erdogan said at a joint briefing with Putin.

Turkey has been eager to prevent an assault by Syrian government troops in the province.

Putin said he believed the agreement on Idlib could hasten final resolution of Syria’s long and devastating civil war.

“We agreed that practical implementation of the steps we plan will give a fresh impetus to the process of political settlement of the Syrian conflict and will make it possible to invigorate efforts in the Geneva format and will help restore peace in Syria,” he said.

Asked whether Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government agreed with the Putin-Erdogan plan, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told reporters in Sochi that “in the coming hours, we will agree with them on all the positions put forth in this document.”

Ahmed Ramadan, a spokesman for the Syrian political opposition in exile, said the agreement offered Russia a chance to walk back its threat against Idlib and represented a success for diplomatic pressure from Turkey and the United States, which was also against an offensive.

Ramadan also said the deal offers the Syrian government and Russia one of their main demands, which is securing the highway that passes through Idlib and links northern Syria with other cities. That was one of the government’s strategic aims in an offensive in Idlib.

“Turkey offered Putin a ladder with which to climb down from the tree, threatening a military offensive in Idlib that had little chance for success,” Ramadan said in a series of text messages with The Associated Press. “The Turkish and U.S. serious pressures were the reason behind Russia abstaining from the offensive and offering an air cover which means Iran alone won’t be able to carry out the offensive with the overstretched forces of the Assad regime.”

READ MORE: Russia, Turkey and Iran plan last-ditch summit to avoid bloodbath in Idlib, Syria

He said Russia has also refrained from its accusations that the rebels are all terrorists. “Russia swallowed all its accusations,” he said. “Turkey is in a strong position.”

He said the zone would be enforced by Turkish patrols on the opposition side and Russian patrols on the government side.

Ramadan added that the opposition was now stronger than when it was after losses in Daraa and Ghouta.

He said the Russians reached the agreement without negotiating it first with the Syrian government, pointing to Shoigu’s comments that Moscow will discuss the deal with the Syrian government later.

WATCH: Turkey calls for ceasefire to avoid ‘bloodbath’ in Syria’s Idlib, Russia disagrees

Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Turkey-backed rebel group Faylaq al-Sham, thanked Erdogan for preventing an offensive and giving the rebels time to defend their rebellion and people. Millions “of civilians in Idlib are in peace,” he tweeted.

He said he was confident that the deal “would not have been possible without the steadfastness of our people and fighters. Thank you, Erdogan.”

Capt. Naji al-Mustafa, a spokesman for the Turkey-backed umbrella group of opposition fighters known as the National Front for Liberation, said diplomatic efforts have prevented a wide-offensive on Idlib but that his group still needs to learn the details of the deal.

READ MORE: Russian and Syrian airstrikes hit Idlib, Syria after failed ceasefire summit

He said the nature of the demilitarized zone and how it would be implemented are not yet clear.

“We need details,” he said, adding that the Assad government has broken many agreements before, including the Russian-Turkey negotiated de-escalation zones.

“We will remain ready for fighting,” he said.

Russia has called Idlib a hotbed of terrorism and had said the Syrian government has the right to retake control of it. In recent weeks, Russian officials repeatedly claimed rebels in Idlib were preparing a chemical weapons attack that could be blamed on the Syrian government and prompt a retaliatory strike by the West.

WATCH: Putin says key task for peace in Syria is to rid Idlib of militants

Turkey had appealed to Russia and Iran, its uneasy negotiating partners, for a diplomatic resolution. At the same time, it has sent reinforcements to its troops ringing Idlib, a move designed to ward off a ground assault, at least for now.

The International Rescue Committee, a New-York based humanitarian group, said the people of Idlib “will rest easier tonight knowing that they are less likely to face an impending assault.”

However, Lorraine Bramwell, the group’s Syria country director, cautioned that previous de-escalation deals didn’t last long.

READ MORE: Syrian government used chemical weapon chlorine three times, U.N. investigators say

“In order to give people in Idlib peace of mind then, this agreement needs to be built upon by the global powers working together to find a lasting political solution that protects civilians,” Bramwell said. “It is also essential that humanitarian organizations are allowed to reach those who will remain in need throughout Idlib, including in any ‘demilitarized zone.’”

Idlib and surrounding areas were quiet Monday, a continuation of the calm that started less than a week ago amid Russia-Turkey talks. </s> Syria has welcomed an agreement between Russia and Turkey to create a demilitarised buffer zone by the middle of October in Syria’s Idlib, the last stronghold of opposition rebels.

Syrian state-run news agency SANA quoted a foreign ministry official on Tuesday as saying that the agreement came as a result of “intensive consultations and full coordination’’ between Syria and Russia.

“The Syrian Arab Republic always welcomes any initiative that prevents bloodshed among the Syrians and helps in rebuilding security and stability,’’ the official said.

The source added that Damascus “is continuing its war against terrorism until the liberation of the last inch of the Syrian territory, whether by military operations or by local reconciliations’’.

The buffer zone, which is 15 to 20 square kilometres wide, will separate Syrian troops and rebels in Idlib and is expected to be in place by Oct. 15.

The zone will be monitored by Russian and Turkish forces to provide for the withdrawal of militants, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, adding that this tactic was supported by the Syrian government.

In Syria’s north-west, Idlib is the last remaining rebel bastion after seven years of war.

Turkey has been seeking to prevent a battle in Idlib, near the Turkish border, as Syrian state troops backed by Russian air power have been poised for a military operation to reclaim the territory.

A battle over Idlib could drive masses of its estimated 3 million civilians north into Turkey. </s> Russia and Turkey say they have agreed to create a buffer zone in Syria’s northern Idlib province to separate government forces and rebel fighters.

Idlib is the last bastion of anti-government rebels, with fears growing in recent weeks about the likelihood of a devastating offensive by government forces.

President Vladimir Putin said the demilitarised zone will be established by 15 October, while Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said there will now be no new military operation against Syria’s Idlib by Syrian government forces and their allies.

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“I believe that with this agreement we prevented a humanitarian crisis in Idlib,” Mr Erdogan said.

Russia, the biggest outside backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the country’s seven-year civil war, has been preparing for an offensive on Idlib, a city that is controlled by rebels and is home to about three million people.

But after Mr Putin’s talks with Turkish President Erdogan, who has opposed a military operation in Idlib, it has been agreed was that all heavy weapons be withdrawn from the buffer zone, and that what he called radically-minded Islamist fighters, would have to pull out of the zone.

The zone, he said, would be between 15km and 25km (9 to 12 miles) wide and would be patrolled by mobile units of Turkish and Russian troops.

Shape Created with Sketch. Fears for 3m people in rebel-held Idlib ahead of regime offensive Show all 13 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Fears for 3m people in rebel-held Idlib ahead of regime offensive 1/13 A Syrian protester waves a flag of the opposition as during a protest against the regime and its ally Russia, in the rebel-held town of Maaret al-Numan in the north of Idlib province AFP/Getty 2/13 Syrian rebel fighters from the recently-formed "National Liberation Front" stand guard over a trench as rebels prepare defensive positions in anticipation for an upcoming government forces offensive AFP/Getty Images 3/13 AFP/Getty Images 4/13 Syrian rebel fighters pile-up sandbags AFP/Getty Images 5/13 AFP/Getty Images 6/13 A Syrian rebel fighter looks through an embrasure in a make-shift bunker AFP/Getty Images 7/13 AFP/Getty Images 8/13 Syrian rebel fighters walk through a trench AFP/Getty Images 9/13 A Syrian protester waves a flag of the opposition AFP/Getty Images 10/13 A Syrian rebel fighter stands guard over a trench AFP/Getty Images 11/13 AFP/Getty Images 12/13 AFP/Getty Images 13/13 AFP/Getty Images 1/13 A Syrian protester waves a flag of the opposition as during a protest against the regime and its ally Russia, in the rebel-held town of Maaret al-Numan in the north of Idlib province AFP/Getty 2/13 Syrian rebel fighters from the recently-formed "National Liberation Front" stand guard over a trench as rebels prepare defensive positions in anticipation for an upcoming government forces offensive AFP/Getty Images 3/13 AFP/Getty Images 4/13 Syrian rebel fighters pile-up sandbags AFP/Getty Images 5/13 AFP/Getty Images 6/13 A Syrian rebel fighter looks through an embrasure in a make-shift bunker AFP/Getty Images 7/13 AFP/Getty Images 8/13 Syrian rebel fighters walk through a trench AFP/Getty Images 9/13 A Syrian protester waves a flag of the opposition AFP/Getty Images 10/13 A Syrian rebel fighter stands guard over a trench AFP/Getty Images 11/13 AFP/Getty Images 12/13 AFP/Getty Images 13/13 AFP/Getty Images

It was not immediately clear if the demilitarised zone incorporated the city of Idlib itself; if it did, that would require that some of the rebels pull out of the city.

Ahead of the trip to Russia, Mr Erdogan had said Turkey’s calls for a ceasefire in Idlib region were bearing fruit after days of relative calm but that more work needed to be done.

Mr Putin publicly rebuffed a proposal from Mr Erdogan for a ceasefire there when the two met along with Iran’s president for a three-way summit in Tehran earlier this month.

Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, speaking earlier on Monday, said the Assad government was determined to drive Islamist fighters, including Jabhat al-Nusra , which he described as a terrorist organisation, from Idlib.

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“Our government wants to give priority to reconciliation and to give all necessary measures in order to ensure safe corridors, and to secure the lives of civilians and to provide the basic needs of civilians in cooperation with UN humanitarian agencies,” Ambassador Hussam Edin Aala told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Reuters </s> Turkey and Russia are discussing a "coordination centre" to better manage their operations in Syria's rebel-controlled Idlib province, Turkey's defence minister said.

Regime ally Russia and Turkey, which supports rebels, have been on opposite sides in the Syrian war.

But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russia's Vladimir Putin have been working closely to end the fighting. A Russian-Turkish deal for a demilitarised zone last year protected the Idlib rebel bastion.

The two countries and Ankara are already preparing joint patrols around the northwestern Syrian region.

"We are working on a joint coordination centre," Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said after a meeting Wednesdayg, according to a ministry statement on Thursday.

His remarks came as Russian jets carried out air strikes in Idlib on Wednesday, the first such attacks since the Turkish-Russian deal was signed in September as a way to prevent major bloodshed.

At least 13 civilians, including six infants were killed in the raids, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor that relies on sources inside Syria.

Earlier this month, Turkey said its forces and Russians would begin ground patrols around Idlib province as part of their ceasefire deal.

Idlib is controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group led by Syria's former al Qaeda affiliate.

HTS in January took control of the administration of Idlib's region where three million people have been protected.

The Russian-Turkish agreement was supposed to see hardline jihadists withdraw from Idlib but they never did.

The ceasefire has held except for sporadic bombardments and skirmishes, avoiding an all-out Syrian military assault. </s> At least one civilian was killed on Sunday in attacks by the Syrian regime and pro-regime terrorist groups in Syria's northwestern Idlib de-escalation zone.

The regime and Iranian-backed terrorist groups have been firing artillery into the villages which are situated inside the de-escalation zone, the parameters of which were laid down in a recent agreement between Turkey and Russia.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Mustafa Hajj Youssef, director of the White Helmets civil-defense agency, said the attacks targeting Idlib's southwestern villages also left two civilians injured.

Youssef said that the wounded were taken to a nearby hospital.

After a meeting in Russia's coastal city of Sochi between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Sept. 17, the two sides agreed to set up a demilitarized zone -- in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited -- in Idlib.

Under the terms of the deal, opposition groups in Idlib will remain in areas in which they are already present, while Russia and Turkey will carry out joint patrols in the area to prevent a resumption of fighting.

Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity. </s> ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish troops and tanks carried out military exercises on the border with Syria on Saturday, state-run media reported, while a monitoring group said a Turkish convoy had crossed the frontier into northern Syria.

Turkey’s military sent tanks and armored vehicles to the border in the second day of reinforcements near the province of Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold in Syria.

On Friday, a Turkish security source said the Turkish army had been rotating forces in and out of the region, and declined to say whether the latest movement was in preparation for an operation inside Syria itself.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based monitoring group, said a Turkish convoy had entered Syria.

Islamist fighters have tightened their control over the Idlib region following more than a week of fighting with Turkey-backed Syrian rebels.

The rise of the jihadist Hayat Tahrir al Sham has raised doubt over the future of a deal agreed in September between Turkey - which has several military observation posts in Idlib - and President Bashar al-Assad’s main ally Russia to avert a Syrian government army assault. The agreement requires banned Islamist groups to be expelled from a frontline buffer zone.

The escalation in Idlib comes as U.S. forces prepare to withdraw from a separate region of northern and eastern Syria.

Earlier on Saturday, the Turkish defense minister, chief of general staff and the intelligence agency head visited border military units and discussed “measures to establish peace and stability in the region,” the ministry said in a statement.

“We are making every effort to preserve the ceasefire and stability in Idlib, in line with the Sochi agreement. Our close cooperation with Russia continues,” Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said.

Akar’s comments came a day after Russia said it remained committed to the agreement it had struck with Turkey to stabilize a de-escalation zone in Idlib, but said Moscow was worried by an increase in the number of ceasefire violations.
Russia and Turkey announce a demilitarized zone in Syria's Idlib Governorate and rule out any military operations.