AL HASAKAH /Syria/, July 20. /TASS/: Russian and Turkish troops have carried out a joint patrol mission in Syria’s Al Hasakah province in accordance with a memorandum adopted by the presidents of Russia and Turkey, officer from the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Sides in Syria Alexander Kazakov told reporters.
"Another Russian-Turkish patrol has taken place in accordance with the 2019 memorandum. Five settlements were inspected, the patrol’s route was 55 kilometers long," Kazakov said.
The patrol particularly involved two Russian Mil Mi-8 helicopters. The mission’s goal was to make sure that there are no Kurdish militia units along the Turkish border because according to the memorandum, they should keep out of the 30 km buffer zone. After the mission was over, Russian and Turkish military officers held consultations to discuss the route of the next joint patrol.
On October 22, 2019, Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey adopted a memorandum on joint activities aimed at resolving the situation in northeastern Syria. Under the document, Russian military police and Syrian troops were deployed to areas adjacent to the Turkish safe zone. Russian and Turkish troops launched joint patrols east of the Euphrates River on November 1. In addition, Moscow and Ankara agreed on March 5, 2020, that a ceasefire would be declared in Idlib and a number of other measures would be taken to improve the situation in the province.
