Russia & Turkey agree to support safe-zones in war-torn Syria

The presidents of Russia and Turkey have said they support the creation of safe-zones in war-torn Syria as a delegation of Syrian rebels walked out of cease-fire talks with the Damascus government underway in Kazakhstan, citing repeated violations of a similar truce agreed on in December.

Meeting in the Russian resort town of Sochi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin yesterday expressed hope the Syrian government and rebels will adopt this latest proposal to de-escalate the conflict, which has run now for six years and claimed some 4 lakh lives.

Turkey and Russia are deeply entangled



in the war in Syria, including each having troops on the ground there Ankara supporting various Syrian opposition factions and Moscow backing President Bashar Assad's forces. Before the rebels suspended their participation at the talks in Astana, the Kazakh capital, Russian representatives had presented the rebels with a proposal for four de-escalation zones in Syria where the warring sides will be separated by security lines.

The Astana talks are proximity talks, with Syrian government representatives and the rebels separately meeting with Russian officials and other representatives.