ERDOGAN AND PUTIN STRIKE DEAL OVER KURDS
Russia and Turkey have agreed to ensure Kurdish forces withdraw from areas close to Syria’s border with Turkey and to launch joint patrols, in a deal hailed as “historic” by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. After marathon talks in Russia’s southern city of Sochi, Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin announced the deal late Tuesday just hours ahead of a deadline for Turkey to restart its assault on Syrian Kurdish forces. As the evening deadline passed, Turkey said there was “no need” to relaunch the offensive. The agreement cements Russia and Turkey’s roles as the main foreign players in Syria, after US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of American forces from the country’s north earlier this month. That announcement cleared the way for Turkey to launch a cross-border military push on October 9 against the Kurdish YPG militia, viewed by Ankara as “terrorists” linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Turkey has seized control of a “safe zone” inside Syria about 120 kilometres long (75 miles) and 32 kilometres deep.
Tuesday’s agreement with Moscow will see it preserve that zone between the towns of Tal Abyad and Ras al-ain, giving Ankara a crucial presence inside the country.
From noon (0900 GMT) on Wednesday, Russian military police and Syrian border guards will “facilitate the removal” of Kurdish fighters and their weapons from within 30 kilometres (18 miles) of the border. SOCHI AFP Oct23, 2019