Turkey welcomes Syria cease-fire plan, but remains cautious

Ankara offers a guarded welcome to a prospective truce in Syria but implies that Russia might not cease its aerial campaign against the oppositionTurkey has welcomed a Syria cease-fire announced by the United States and Russia, adding that that it was cautious over the implementation of the deal. 

"I welcome this truce but I am not very optimistic that it will be respected by all the parties," Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmu? was quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse in Ankara on Feb. 23.

He also warned that Turkey could carry on shelling targets of the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), in northern Syria, as it did last week.

A landmark truce is to take effect in Syria on Feb. 27, the United States and Russia announced late Feb. 22, but the "cessation of hostilities" does not include the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the al-Nusra Front, the main jihadist factions.

In a joint statement, Washington and Moscow said the partial truce would begin at midnight Damascus time (2200 GMT Feb. 26), suspending a vicious conflict that has left more than 260,000 people dead and seen half the population displaced.

"If implemented and adhered to, this cessation will not only lead to a decline in violence, but also continue to expand the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian supplies to besieged areas and support a political transition to a government that is responsive to the desires of the Syrian people," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said.

Kurtulmu? said Turkey will continue "if necessary" to hit back at incoming fire from Syria even after the truce comes into force on Feb. 27.

"Turkey will defend its...