Roundup: Turkey welcomes Astana "de-escalation zones" consensus

Turkey welcomed a consensus reached in Astana on Thursday to establish "de-escalation zones" in Syria, which covers all of Idlib Province and parts of Aleppo, Latakia and Homs.

"We welcome this memorandum which records the stopping of the use of all kinds of weapons including the air elements in the mentioned regions among the conflicting parties and the provision of the flow of urgent and uninterrupted humanitarian aid to the regions," a written statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

The details and arrangements for the boundaries and functioning of the "de-escalation zones" will be set out in a working group established between the three guarantor countries of the Syrian cease-fire, said the ministry.

Turkey will effectively continue its efforts to contain current cease-fire regime, thereby improving the conditions on the ground for easing meaningful steps to take in the political solution process, and continue efforts to safeguard security and humanitarian needs of the Syrian civilians, read the statement.

On Thursday, Syrian regime's allies Russia and Iran and rebel supporter Turkey signed a memorandum in Astana on a Moscow-backed plan which sets up four "de-escalation zones" in northern, central and southern Syria in an attempt to contain a fragile truce. The deal bans use of weapons in these areas and allows humanitarian aid through these regions.

But a delegation from the Syrian opposition and the regime has not sealed the deal, while some members of the rebel delegation shouted in protest and walked out of the conference room.

The deal would solve 50 percent of the problem in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters on Wednesday after flying back from a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

"A region centered in Idlib, a part of Aleppo near Idlib, the al-Rastan region in Homs, rural Damascus, rural Daraa and rural Quneitra are included in these zones," he said.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Erdogan in Sochi, Putin said Russian and Syrian government jets would halt flights over the specified "de-escalation zones" if all sides respect the cease-fire.

These zones would lead to "further pacification and cessation of hostilities," he added.

In the Astana talks, Russia presented a proposal for setting up four "de-escalation zones" in Syria where the warring sides would be separated by "security lines."

Syrian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Damascus was "fully backing" the proposal.

A cease-fire brokered by Turkey and Russia came into force on Dec. 30, 2016, and as guarantors of the deal, the two countries are responsible for monitoring violations and safeguarding the truce.

Since the beginning of 2017, both countries have been monitoring the cease-fire from centers in their capitals and Hmeymim air base in Syria. Russia recently deployed soldiers in northern Afrin Province to monitor the cease-fire deal.

In March, Russia, Turkey and Iran agreed to strengthen the tripartite mechanism for monitoring cease-fire violations in Syria.

In the same month, Moscow asked Ankara to deploy similar security forces in northern Syrian, which is largely under the control of Turkey-backed rebels, in order to monitor the truce, a Turkish official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. Endit