Ankara Denies Turkish-Russian Deal on Idlib, Aleppo Crossings

Arab World

March 27th, 8:23am

Ankara - Qamishli - Saeed Abdulrazek and Kamal Sheikho

A Syrian comedian, who dresses up as a clown to entertain children in camps for displaced Syrians in the northwest of the country, performs in the main square of a camp in Kfar Jalis north of Idlib on March 22, 2021. (Photo by Zein Al RIFAI / AFP)

Turkish military sources denied on Friday reports that Ankara and Moscow have reached an agreement to open crossings with regime-held areas in Syria. “Reports that a deal has been struck to re-open three crossings in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province and the city of Aleppo are not true,” the Turkish Anadolu Agency said. It quoted sources as saying that airstrikes and regime attacks on Idlib as well as harassment, infiltration and car bomb attacks by PKK/YPG “terrorists” in areas of Turkey’s Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch operations continue. The sources spoke about an attempt to open the Saraqib border crossing in the Idlib de-escalation zone on April 18, 2020 and the Miznaz crossing on April 30 that year. “But this failed due to public pressure and protests against the regime,” they said. The security sources also stressed that while attacks on Idlib and in the Tal Rifat and Manbij areas against the Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch operation areas continue, it will not be possible for local people to feel safe. On Wednesday, head of the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria in Hmeimim, General Alexander Karpov stated that a decision has been taken to reopen the Saraqeb and Miznaz crossings in Idlib’s de-escalation zone and the Abu Zaidin crossing in Aleppo city. On Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that several Syrian areas under the control of Turkish forces and opposition factions in Idlib and Aleppo, witnessed demonstrations against the opening of crossings. It added that although regime forces reopened the Saraqeb crossing, east of Idlib, it witnessed no civilian movement or commercial traffic. Meanwhile, a Syrian Democratic Council official, Salam Hussein, said on Friday the deal “means we should accept the invasions and military divisions enforced in Syria.” Separately, tense calm prevailed in the frontlines of Tel Tamr’s countryside in Al-Hasakah province, after recent intensive shelling and violent clashes between the Syrian Democratic Forces and Turkish-backed factions.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2884596/ankara-denies-turkish-russian-deal-idlib-aleppo-crossings