Russia, Turkey in Dispute over Idlib Agreement Interpretation

On Sept. 17, Moscow and Ankara signed in Sochi an agreement on setting up a 9-12 mile demilitarized zone in Idlib along the contact line between the militants and the government forces, Asharq Al-Awsat reported.

According to the agreement, all heavy weaponry operated by rebel groups must be pulled out of the demilitarized zone by October 10 and “terrorist groups” should be cleared by October 15.

The sources said Moscow already informed Tehran, Damascus and Ankara that in case the above conditions were not fully implemented, Russia would therefore immediately launch a military operation and airstrikes against Idlib.

According to the sources, Russia and Turkey disagree over the depth of the decentralized zone, as Moscow is seeking to annex Idlib and other main cities to it, but Ankara has rejected the offer.

The second disagreement is related to the two main roads linking Aleppo to Lattakia and Hama, which are considered the “main artery of the North.” Russia asked that the Syrian government control the M4 from Aleppo to Lattakia and the M5 from Aleppo to Hama before 2019. However, Ankara insists that the roads remain monitored by Russia and Turkey.

The third disagreement is related to the fate of extremists as Turkish officials want to transfer them to Kurdish-controlled areas while Russian officials insist on “terminating them.”

Also, the two sides disagree over the range of the Sochi agreement.

Moscow wants it a temporary agreement similar to the ones implemented in the de-escalation areas of Dara'a, Damascus Ghouta and Homs, while Ankara prefers to have it permanent, similar to the one implemented in the areas of Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch.

Both countries hope that a Russian-Turkish-French-German Summit planned for next month could contribute to solving the disputes over Idlib.

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