By Elena Teslova
MOSCOW (AA) – Turkish military presence in the Syrian province of Idlib ensures security in the region, the former prime minister of the Syrian Interim Government said during a Syria meeting in Sochi, Russia, on Tuesday.
The Syrian opposition wants to transform Idlib from a deescalation zone into a zone of a permanent cease-fire, Ahmad Tu’mah, who led the opposition groups at the 10th round of Astana format meeting of the guarantor countries, said at a news conference.
”The presence of Turkish allies at the control points on the regional borders ensures security, ” he said following the meeting.
Meanwhile, Russian Presidential Envoy for Syria, Alexander Lavrentyev, ruled out the possibility of any military operation in Idlib.
“There cannot be any talks of an all-out offensive, ” he said, speaking at a separate news conference in Sochi.
Last week, the regime began a military buildup in southwestern Idlib in a bid to attack Syria’s northwestern Turkmen Mountain region, which is located within the de-escalation zones.
Idlib was a top issue during the Astana meeting, as the Turkish delegation stressed the importance of maintaining the cease-fire regime in the region.
