Turkey and Russia launch joint patrols in Syria following deal

TURKEY AND Russia have launched joint patrols in northeastern Syria.

The move came under a deal that halted a Turkish offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters who were forced to withdraw from the border area following Ankara’s incursion.

The Turkish Defence Ministry said an initial patrol covered an area 87 kilometres (54 miles) long and 10 kilometres (six miles) deep in the al-Darbasiyah region, assisted by drones.

“The first joint patrol was completed as planned,” the statement said.

The Russian Defence Ministry said the joint patrol included nine military vehicles, including a Russian armoured personnel carrier.

Turkey and Russia have agreed the patrols would cover two sections, in the west and east of Turkey’s operation zone in Syria.

Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition fighters now control the border towns of Tal Abyad, Ras al-Ayn and nearby villages.

The deal on the patrols excludes the city of Qamishli, according to the ministry’s statement.

The first joint patrol did not fly Russian and Turkish flags on their armoured vehicles on Friday but once the patrol was completed, Russian flags were seen.

An Associated Press journalist at the Turkey-Syria border could see the Syrian flag hoisted on a building on the Syrian side.

Syrian government troops moved into Kurdish-held areas following an agreement in October.

Turkey last month invaded north-eastern Syria to push out Syrian Kurdish fighters, who it considers terrorists for their links to a Kurdish insurgency inside Turkey.

The US had partnered with the Syrian Kurdish fighters, their top allies in the war against so-called Islamic State. That relationship strained ties between Washington and Ankara, who are Nato allies.

After an abrupt and widely criticised decision by US president Donald Trump to withdraw American troops from that part of Syria, the Kurdish forces approached the Syrian government and Russia for protection.

Syrian government troops and Russian military police subsequently moved into areas along the border.

Two ceasefire agreements brokered by the US and Russia paused Turkey’s operation to allow the Syrian Kurdish fighters withdraw from the border.

Russia told Turkey, at the end of the 150-hour ceasefire on Tuesday, that the Syrian Kurdish fighters were out of this strip of territory, as well as the towns of Manbij and Tal Rifaat, west of the Euphrates River.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s defence ministry announced that a Turkish soldier was killed after an improvised explosive device detonated on Thursday.

This brings the Turkish military’s death toll to 13 since the start of Ankara’s invasion in north-eastern Syria on October 9.

Mortars fired from Syria during the early phases of the operation killed 21 civilians in Turkey.

Though the truce has mostly held, it has been marred by accusations of violations from both sides and occasional clashes. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to resume the offensive if necessary.

The first joint patrol was completed as planned. Statement from the Turkish Defence Ministry.