Northwestern Syria offensive

Turkish and Russian troops have conducted the first joint patrolling mission on the M4 highway in Idlib province of Syria, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on March 15, in line with the March 5 agreement sealed between Ankara and Moscow that brought about a temporary cease-fire to the enclave.

Turkish and Russian military delegations have agreed to establish joint coordination centers and the military activities in Idlib will be managed from these centers, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on March 13.

Turkish and Russian delegations, which have been holding talks for the past two days regarding the implementation of the fresh cease-fire in Idlib, have reached an agreement "to a large extent," the Turkish defense chief has said.

A Russian military delegation arrived in the Turkish capital of Ankara on March 10 evening, for talks on the details of the ceasefire.

Talks between Turkey and Russia on the implementation of a ceasefire agreement in Syria's northwestern Idlib region are "positive and constructive," Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said.

"Our activities continue within the context of the [ceasefire] agreement. The situation has been calm," Akar told reporters in parliament.

Turkey's military will patrol to the north of a security corridor being set up around a highway in northwest Syria's Idlib province and Russian forces will patrol the southern side, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on March 10.

Turkish and Russian military delegations will launch talks on March 10 in Ankara on the specific parameters of the functioning of the security corridor 6 kilometers deep to the north and 6 km deep to the south from the M4 highway in Idlib.

Turkey and Russia will start joint patrols in Idlib northwestern Syria on March 15 under the ceasefire for the embattled province reached this week, Turkey's defense minister said.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said there had been no violations of the ceasefire in Syria's Idlib, as part of the agreement with Russia.

"We will continue to be a deterrent force to prevent any violation to the ceasefire. None occurred since ceasefire entered into force," Akar said in Turkey's southern Hatay province, bordering Syria.

The Assad regime attacks killed two Turkish soldiers and wounded six others in Idlib, said the National Defense Ministry on March 4.

"We wish Allah's mercy on our martyrs, and condolences to their families. We also share our condolences with the entire Turkish nation, and wish a quick recovery for our wounded personnel," it said.

This was stated by the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Major General Igor Konashenkov, Sputnik reports.
According to him, the situation in the Idlib security zone, where the Syrian army has pushed terrorists of the Hayat Tahrir Ash Sham group to a safe distance from Aleppo after attacking its positions, "represents another moment of truth."