Turkey, Russia agree on Syria cease-fire scheme

Turkey and Russia have reached an agreement on a cease-fire plan involving the whole of Syria, and the two countries will work to ensure that it brings into effect at midnight Wednesday night, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported on Wednesday.

The Anadolu Agency, quoting unnamed sources, said the plan would be presented to all sides of the Syria conflict and aims for a cease-fire that would come into force “in all regions” where fighting between pro-government forces and opposition groups is taking place.

Terror organizations would be kept out of the scope of the cease-fire agreement, the agency said, without elaborating on which insurgent groups would be considered terror organizations.

It said a peace process in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana would go ahead under Russia and Turkey’s leadership if the cease-fire holds. Anadolu said the two countries would act as “guarantors” of the peace process.

There was no immediate confirmation from Turkey’s Foreign Ministry.

Source: AP