Erdoğan, Putin agree to speed up founding of ‘observation posts’ in Syria’s Idlib

ANKARA

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to step up efforts to form “observation posts” in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency quoted presidential sources as saying on Jan. 31.

The establishment of de-escalation zones between Turkey, which backs groups opposed to Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime, Russia and Iran, who support the regime, was agreed back in May 2017.

Speaking on the phone on the morning of Jan. 31, Erdoğan and Putin also reportedly “agreed on the importance” of the Russian-sponsored conference in Sochi on resolving the conflict in Syria, “despite problems at the meeting.”

Erdoğan also shared information with Putin regarding Turkey’s ongoing military operation into Syria’s Afrin region, the source added.