Battle of Aleppo

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called on "all parties and the international community to abide by" the Turkey-brokered truce in Aleppo on Dec. 16, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

On his official Twitter account, Erdogan wrote Friday: "The Turkey-brokered truce in Aleppo and the continuation of evacuations is the only hope left for innocent people. 

Hectic diplomacy for maintaining a safe way out of Syria's Aleppo for civilians and rebel fighters has been pursued by Turkey and Russia over the past few days, with a Turkish official criticizing Iran's stance in the process but hailing Russia's efforts. 

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Dec. 15 that the United States would create "safe zones" in Syria, a demand Turkey had been longing for and just as the evacuation of civilians and rebels from the besieged parts of Syria's Aleppo was ongoing. 

The evacuation of people from eastern Aleppo was suspended on Dec. 16, with a witness quoted by Reuters hearing at least four blasts at a location from which buses had been departing.

A state-run Syrian TV station reported that rebels had breached an agreement with the government by trying to take prisoners with them during the evacuation.

Thousands of people were evacuated on Thursday from the last rebel bastion in Aleppo, the first to leave under a ceasefire deal that would end years of fighting for the city and mark a major victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Evacuations in Aleppo have resumed after at least four civilians were killed and another four were injured when Iranian-backed Shiite militias opened fire on the convoy.
The convoy was previously forced to return to Aleppo after the attack.

The first convoy of people requiring medical attention started to leave rebel-held east Aleppo, private broadcaster CNN Türk has reported.

The convoy began a journey which will take patients through government territory into the rebel-held western Aleppo countryside as agreed in an evacuation deal this week.

There was "harassment fire" in eastern Aleppo throughout the night despite a ceasefire deal being struck between Turkey and Russia, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told reporters on Dec. 14. 

Syrian opposition forces in eastern Aleppo have reached a ceasefire deal with Bashar al-Assad forces to evacuate civilians in the besieged city. 

According to a source from the opposition forces, the move came after Turkey-brokered talks with Russia that were concluded at 7 p.m. local time. 

Turkish and Russian officials will meet in Turkey on Dec. 14 to discuss a possible cease-fire and corridor to evacuate civilians from war-torn Aleppo, as Syrian pro-government forces march toward retaking the entire city.