Iran and Assad Opponents Welcome Putin and Erdogan's Agreement on Idlib

Iran and Syrian opposition groups welcomed the agreement between Turkey and Russia to prevent an attack on Idlib, which is considered the last refuge of the opponents of Bashar al-Assad's government. Following the meeting between Erdogan and Putin in Sochi, Russia, on Monday, where no Iranian officials were present, the parties announced that they had agreed to establish a buffer zone in Idlib. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, tweeted on Monday, September 17, stating, 'Active and responsible diplomacy over the past few weeks, pursued during my visits to Ankara and Damascus, followed by the Iran-Russia-Turkey meeting in Tehran and the Sochi meeting, has succeeded in preventing war in Idlib while also emphasizing a steadfast commitment to combating extremist terrorism. Diplomacy works.' The opposition groups also welcomed the agreement reached between the Turkish and Russian presidents to create a demilitarized and civilian zone to separate the rebels from government forces. Yahya al-Aridi, spokesman for the Syrian opposition commission, told Reuters that this agreement, in addition to saving many Syrian lives, will keep the 'path to peace' open in the country. Moscow and Tehran have strongly supported Bashar al-Assad since the beginning of the civil war in Syria in 2011. The Syrian government recently announced that it intends to 'cleanse' what it calls the 'last stronghold of terrorists' in the country by attacking Idlib. Turkey, which supports the opposition groups and currently hosts over three million Syrian refugees, sought to prevent an attack on Idlib and was trying to avoid what it termed a 'bloodbath.' Putin, in a joint press conference with Erdogan after their Sochi meeting, stated that the buffer zone would be between 15 to 25 kilometers and that the demilitarization would begin on October 15 of this year. He noted that extremist rebels, including members affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Nusra Front, must leave this area. Putin also added that according to this agreement, the rebels must lay down heavy weapons, including tanks, rocket launchers, and mortars, by October 10. This agreement comes after the Iranian and Russian presidents rejected Erdogan's ceasefire request in Idlib about ten days ago during a trilateral summit in Tehran. By accepting this proposal, the attack on Idlib will be halted, and the Turkish and Russian armies will control this buffer zone starting October 15.