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. While the U.S. and its Western allies have focused on battling ISIS, they have joined Turkey in warning Assad and his international partners from pursuing an all-out assault on Idlib, which has a population of up to 3 million and is dominated by the jihadi Hayat Tahrir al-Sham coalition.Turkish President Recep Tayyip visited the Black Sea city of Sochi on Monday to discuss the Idlib situation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the two struck a deal to create a 15 to 20-kilometer demilitarized zone in Idlib by October 15 as well as to facilitate the withdrawal of jihadi groups and the removal of heavy weapons. For the 3 million civilians, including 1 million children, in Idlib, the 17 September agreement could mean merely a stay of execution or the beginning of a reprieve, the first “tiny glint of light” at the end of the darkest tunnel.
Russia and Turkey announce a demilitarized zone in Syria's Idlib Governorate and rule out any military operations.