“The fact that we are in agreement with the agreements brings hope for the future. We are moving forward,” the official said on condition of anonymity. The March 5 agreement is likely to follow the fate of all previous Idlib agreements and will soon disintegrate. The latest Turkish-Russian agreement reached on 5 March in Moscow by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will be no exception. Although the agreement succeeded in ending the fighting and giving respite to the three million Syrians living in the province, most of them were driven out several times, it did not find a stable solution that would prevent a new military offensive by the Syrian regime and its allies on the last stronghold of the Turkish-backed Syrian opposition. Moscow, for its part, said Turkey was violating the agreement by supporting “illegal armed groups” and accused Turkish forces of mingling with “terrorists” in Idlib. First, it did not oblige the regime to abandon the territory conquered since last year and to retreat to the lines set by the Sochi agreement of September 2018 – which Turkey had repeatedly demanded. Instead, it has legitimized the new “reality” on the ground – that is, the territorial gains that Syrian regime forces and allied militias have been able to achieve since December. Unlike the fight for Aleppo, Moscow does not need Tehran in Idlib and has discussed it. This has angered the Iranian leadership, who will probably spoil the Russian-Turkish agreement by provoking the Turkish side. Turkey will probably react to the provocations, no doubt with russia`s agreement. In recent years, Turkey and Russia have had to sit down several times at the negotiating table to reach an agreement on opposition-held areas in northwestern Syria.
However, despite these agreements, the situation in the region, particularly in the northwestern province of Idlib, has only worsened and no clear solution is in sight. Akar said Turkey and Russia were working to make the ceasefire permanent, adding that Ankara and Moscow would establish joint coordination centers to monitor the agreement. “We have largely agreed. For the time being, the attacks are stopped, the ceasefire holds “, was quoted Akar by its office. ” Joint patrols will depart on March 15 along the M4. Our colleagues are discussing the details. Erdogan probably wanted to stop Assad`s offensive in Idlib and keep territory under his de facto control as part of a 2018 deal brokered by Russia. Russia wants to restore a balance in the region, which probably reflects the territorial gains of the Syrian army, without rotting its relations with Turkey.