Details of the Putin-Erdogan agreement on Idlib

ARK News: Turkey has announced that the agreement, which it has signed with Russia on Idlib province, will ensure the maintenance of its current borders, without any change.

The text of the Memorandum of Understanding

The Republic of Turkey and the Russian Federation, as guarantors of adherence to the cease-fire system in the Syrian Arab Republic, and guided by the Memorandum of “Approval of the Reduction of Escalation Areas” within the Syrian Arab Republic on 4 May 2017, and the arrangements made in the Astana operation, and in order to stabilize the situation within the area of reducing the escalation in Idlib as soon as possible, have agreed as follows:

1. Maintaining the area of escalation reduction in Idlib, and to fortify the Turkish checkpoints and continue its operations.
2. The Russian Federation will take all necessary measures to ensure that military operations and attacks on Idlib are avoided and that the status quo is maintained.
3. Building a demilitarized zone with a depth of 15-20 km.
4. Confirmation of the demarcation of the demilitarized zone through further consultations.
5. Removing of all radical terrorist groups from within the demilitarized zone by October 15.
6. Withdrawing all tanks, multi-rocket launchers, artillery and mortars that belonging to the warring parties from within the demilitarized zone by 10 October 2018.
7. The Turkish Armed Forces and the Military Police of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will conduct coordinated patrols and surveillance efforts using unmanned aerial vehicles along the demilitarized zone, as well as ensuring the free movement of local people and goods and the restoration of trade and economic links.
8. Transit routes will be restored via the M4 routes (Aleppo - Lattakia) and M5 (Aleppo - Hama) by the end of 2018.
9. Taking effective measures to ensure the establishment of a sustainable ceasefire regime within the area of escalation reduction in Idlib. In this regard, the functions of the Iran-Russia-Turkey Joint Coordination Center will be strengthened.
10. The two sides reaffirm their determination to combat terrorism in Syria in all its forms and manifestations.


Concluded in Sochi on 17 September 2018 in two copies, both English and Russian versions bearing the same legal value. "

A number of armed factions rejected the agreement yesterday, saying that "the factions of the Huras Addin, Ansar al-Tawheed, Ansar Addin, Ansar Allah, Tajamuh al-Furqan, and Jund of Caucasian, together with other jihadist groups operating within the Hayat Tahreer al-Sham, refused to withdraw from the lines of contact with the forces of the regime extending from Jisr al-Shughur to the eastern countryside of Idlib, passing through the northern suburbs of Hama and the south-eastern countryside of Idlib. "

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said yesterday that "these factions have shown their readiness to confront any Party that seeks to withdraw their weapons and forces them to withdraw. On the contrary, they will remain on their points to fight the regime army and the Russians."

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