Turkey, Russia get UN backing for Syria truce, Astana talks

A cease-fire held across most of Syria on Jan. 1 as Russia and Turkey secured unanimous passage of a United Nations resolution backing their efforts to "jumpstart" talks aimed at ending the nearly six-year conflict.

The Security Council resolution aims to pave the way for talks next month in Kazakhstan's capital Astana, under the aegis of Turkey, Russia and Iran.

Turkey and Russia say the talks will supplement, not replace, U.N.-backed peace efforts, including negotiations set to resume Feb. 8 in Geneva.

The text of the U.N. measure "welcomes and supports the efforts by Russia and Turkey to end violence in Syria and jumpstart a political process." It hails the Astana talks as "an important step."

The measure also calls for the "rapid, safe and unhindered" delivery of humanitarian aid in Syria.

Russia and Turkey brokered the current cease-fire and, while backing opposing forces in the conflict, have been working increasingly closely on Syria, including allowing evacuations from the besieged city of Aleppo.

The Syrian conflict has occasionally spilled over into neighboring Turkey, with several attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and t6he Levant (ISIL) or Kurdish militants.

Turkey has launched an incursion into Syria to oust ISIL and the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which it considers a terrorist group with close links to the otlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). 

Washington has been conspicuously absent from the new process to end the Syrian conflict but has called the truce "positive." Moscow has said it hoped to bring U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's administration on board once he takes office in January.

Russia's U.N. ambassador Vitaly Churkin had earlier...