News Analysis: Nationwide ceasefire key to political solution to Syria crisis

The upcoming nationwide ceasefire in Syria could be a prelude to broad peace negotiations in the war-torn country, if the concerned parties abide by it, analysts said Thursday.

The Syrian army declared on Thursday that a nationwide cessation of hostilities will go into effect as of midnight Friday.

The ceasefire will exclude the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and the Islamic State (IS) group, both designated as terrorist groups by the United Nations, it added.

The Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army and the Syrian National Coalition, a political coalition of Syrian opposition groups, have announced their acceptance to the ceasefire.

The Syrian army's declaration of ceasefire reflects an agreement reached Wednesday between Russia and Turkey for a nationwide ceasefire in Syria, with both countries acting as guarantors to rein in their respective allies in the country.

Osama Danura, a political analyst, told Xinhua that the ceasefire comes as a result of the victories of the Syrian army, particularly in Aleppo in northern Syria, as the entire city has fallen back under the government control since last week, when the rebels all withdrew toward the countryside of the city.

Another reason, Danura said, is the Russian-Iranian effort to push Ankara to reach common ground with the two countries.

"The new agreement means that Turkey is now onboard with Russia, and its pledge to guarantee the implementation of the ceasefire on the rebel side is a positive thing," said Danura. "This means that the main obstacle that was hindering the political settlement to Syria's crisis has been largely surmounted."

If the rebels shift toward pointing guns on and severing ties with terrorist groups, it will be a right prelude to the upcoming Syrian political talks, the expert said.

Danura pointed out that the new ceasefire will also serve as a test to the true intentions of rebels and Turkey, as the latter has always been the "umbilical cord feeding the rebels in northern Syria with arms, fighters and logistics."

It wasn't the first time that a nationwide ceasefire was agreed in Syria, but earlier ones eventually failed.

The new ceasefire involving Turkey has greater chances of success, as it is generally thought that a political solution to the conflict in Syria needs a shift in the regional and international stance toward the leadership of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Given that Turkey is the staunch ally of the opposition, its alliance with Russia on the ceasefire has fed a strong sentiment that Syria could see a respite from a nearly six-year conflict.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the ceasefire will be followed by peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition in Kazakhstan, without specifying a date.

He, however, noted that the agreement is "fragile" and needs "special attention and involvement."

"But after all, this is a notable result of our joint work, efforts by the Defense and Foreign ministries, our partners in the regions," Putin said.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the ceasefire will cover 62,000 opposition fighters across Syria, adding that Russia and Turkey have established a hotline to monitor the truce. Endit