Russia, Turkey fulfilling Idlib deal in line with Sochi agreements

The Russian-Turkish agreement on Syria’s Idlib is being implemented in line with the deal reached in Sochi between Moscow and Ankara, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters on Tuesday.

"[The deal] on Idlib is being fulfilled in line with the Sochi agreement," Cavusoglu said after meeting with his Azerbaijani and Iranian counterparts, according to Haberturk newspaper.

The top Turkish diplomat praised Tehran’s contribution to the political settlement in Syria. "Iran has always made special efforts in this direction. Turkey and Iran are acting together in the framework of the Astana and Sochi processes," the minister was quoted by the Anadolu news agency as saying.

Earlier on Tuesday, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the Kremlin believes that despite difficulties there are no threats that the Russian-Turkish deal on Syria’s Idlib may be disrupted.

According to the Russian-Turkish memorandum signed in Sochi on September 17 after talks between the presidents of Russia and Turkey, the demilitarized zone 15-20 kilometers deep in Idlib should have been established by October 15. However, Turkey asked to postpone joint patrolling in Idlib due to its inability to guarantee security from its side.