Europe and Türkiye call for permanent ceasefire in Syria

(From left to right) Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and French President Emmanuel Macron at a meeting in Istanbul yesterday. Photo: Reuters.

The leaders of Russia, Germany, France and Türkiye held a summit yesterday in Istanbul, Türkiye to discuss the issue of Syria,ReutersThe four countries stressed the importance of a permanent ceasefire in Syria and called for a meeting to establish new rules in the Middle Eastern country by the end of the year.

The meeting comes as escalating violence in Idlib province, the last major rebel stronghold in Syria, threatens a deal between Russia and Türkiye to prevent a large-scale government offensive.

"The agreement between Russia and Türkiye must be taken seriously. We are all extremely vigilant to ensure that these commitments are met, so that the ceasefire can be maintained," French President Emmanuel Macron said, adding that the countries hope that Russia will put clear pressure on the Syrian government.

Russia and Türkiye agreed last month to establish a demilitarized zone of about 15-20 km (9-12 miles) along the line of contact between the opposition and government forces. All rebels and heavy weapons must withdraw from the area. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Türkiye had complied with the agreement and the two sides would continue to cooperate.

Idlib, located on the border between Syria and Türkiye, has been under rebel control since 2015. Currently, 60% of the province is controlled by the al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (the new name for the al-Nusra Front). The rest is controlled by the rebel National Liberation Front (NLF), which is backed by Türkiye.