Turkey, Russia sign agreement of coordinating air operations in Syria

Turkey and Russia signed an agreement on Thursday to establish mechanisms and coordination for the safety of military aviation in Syria, the Turkish army said.

The meetings were held in Moscow between the Russian and Turkish military representatives to ensure the flight security during operations in Syria, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement on its website.

"The purpose of the deal is to specify the mechanisms for coordination and cooperation for flight safety of the Russian Aerospace Forces and Turkish Air Force during offensive against terrorist targets," the statement said.

Ankara and Moscow are experiencing improved relations after Turkey and Russia brokered a nationwide peace deal in Syria.

A nationwide cease-fire deal in Syria was reached in December 2016 with the efforts of the two countries.

Russia reportedly began hitting the Islamic State (IS) positions near al-Bab.

The Russian support came after Turkey criticized the U.S.-led international coalition for not backing its military offensive against IS.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are also likely to meet next month within the scope of a Turkey-Russia High Level Cooperation Council (HLCC) meeting, the Daily Sabah reported citing a diplomatic source. Endit