Turkish forces offered truce monitoring mission in Idlib: Turkish deputy PM

Turkey was offered the opportunity to establish a cease-fire observation mission in the opposition-held Syrian province of Idlib during a meeting last month in Astana in which Ankara, Moscow and Tehran agreed to declare de-conflict zones in regions controlled by the opposition groups, Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak told the Hürriyet Daily News on May 12.

The deployment of Turkish troops in Idlib would help protect Turkey's border security, but the work in drawing maps of de-escalation zones will continue ahead of a final decision, Kaynak said en route to Turkey following a trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina, signaling that Ankara was positive on the proposal in a bid to consolidate its border security. 

"They made the offer in the latest Astana meeting. They asked us to set a belt there. That's necessary also for Turkey's border security because Bayırbucak Turkmen groups were bombed for months within earshot of us. Also there is a huge area between the region of the Euphrates Shield and Idlib which is under control of the PYD [Syrian Democratic Union Party]. We have to main security right there," Kaynak said.

Russia, Turkey and Iran agreed in a memorandum signed on May 4 to establish four separate de-escalation zones in Syria for at least six months. The largest de-escalation zone includes Idlib province and the adjoining districts of Hama, Aleppo and Latakia provinces. The guarantors will finalize the maps of the de-escalation zones by June 4. According to the accord, checkpoints will ensure the safe flow of humanitarian aid and provide secure passage for civilians. Observation points will also monitor the cease-fire in the region.   

Idlib province is divided between a new Salafist coalition created by Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS),...