Russian, Turkish presidents announce Syria cease-fire

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, say they have reached agreements that could end fighting in northwestern Syria.

They say a cease-fire will come into force in Idlib at midnight.

Putin also voiced hope that the deal would end civilian suffering and help contain a humanitarian crisis.

The two countries' foreign ministers said that the agreement involves a cease-fire that must be enforced starting at midnight along the existing battle lines.

The deal also envisages setting up a 12-kilometer (7-mile) -wide security corridor along the M4 highway. The corridor will be jointly patrolled by Russian and Turkish troops, starting March 15.

Putin said he and Erdogan reached agreement on a joint document during the talks in Moscow that lasted for more than six hours. [AP]