Russia and Turkey would establish a “demilitarized zone” to separate rebels from Syrian government troops and head off an all-out battle

September 17, Russia and Turkey appeared Monday to avert a potential crisis in Syria’s rebel-held Idlib province, announcing they would establish a “demilitarized zone” to separate rebels from Syrian government troops and head off an all-out battle.

The announcement, at a joint news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, comes after weeks of speculation that an offensive on Syria’s last major opposition enclave would prompt a full-scale humanitarian disaster.

The precise details of the agreement between Turkey and Russia were not publicly spelled out Monday. But Putin said that a zone nine miles to 12 miles long would be carved out for the rebels ahead of an Oct. 15 deadline.

The Russian president also said that at the Turkish president’s initiative, it was planned "to withdraw from this zone heavy weapons, tanks, multiple missile launch systems, artillery systems and mortars of all opposition groups by October 10."

The zone, both leaders said, would be purged of heavy weapons and more extreme elements of the insurgency, including al-Qaeda-linked militants. The zone would be patrolled by Turkish and Russian forces.

Putin said the plan announced Monday had the support of the Syrian government.

"Control in the demilitarized zone will be exercised by mobile patrol groups of Turkish units and units of Russia’s military police," Putin stated.

The Russian president also said that the sides agreed to "resume transit traffic along the Aleppo-Latakia and Aleppo-Hama highways by the end of 2018, also at the initiative of the Turkish side."

 “The territory controlled by the Syrian opposition must be demilitarized,” Erdogan told reporters in the Russian town of Sochi, where the two leaders met.

“But together with Russia, we will put our efforts into clearing those territories of radical elements,” he said, adding that the two countries would send forces to jointly patrol the area.

The defense ministries of Russia and Turkey signed a memorandum on September 17 on the stabilization of the situation in Idlib.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told journalists on Monday that a new military operation in the Syrian province of Idlib was not on the agenda.

The defense ministries of Russia and Turkey signed a memorandum on Monday on the stabilization of the situation in the zone of de-escalation in Syria’s Idlib. The document was signed following bilateral talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, held on Monday in the Russian southern resort city of Sochi.

Asked by a journalist whether it was true that no more military operations were planned to be held in Idlib, the Russian defense minister said "Yes [it is true]."

"In the hours to come, we plan to make final agreements with them [the Turkish side] on the remaining provisions, which are stipulated in this document," Shoigu said.