Syrian negotiator Jaafari attacks Turkish military presence in northwest Syria

CAIRO – 2 August 2019: Syria’s representative at peace talks in Kazakhstan, Bashar Jaafari, said on Friday that the success of a cease-fire in the northwestern region of Idlib would depend on Turkey disarming rebels of heavy weapons.

Jaafari attacked the Turkish military presence in the northwest of the country and called Syria’s cease-fire statement on Thursday “a test of Turkey’s intentions.”

Recent report have affirmed Turkey’s involvement in the trafficking of arms and fighters to the armed groups fighting in Syria.

The comments came during the second day of talks brokered by Syria’s allies Russia and Iran, along with rebel-backer Turkey.

Jaafari also called on the guarantors of the talks to assume “their responsibilities by putting pressure on Turkey” to fulfil the conditions of an accord struck last year.

“The cease-fire agreement is conditioned on Turkey upholding the Astana and Sochi agreements by disarming terrorists of heavy and medium weapons,” Jaafari said.

Jaafari accused the militant groups of shelling areas under regime control in northwest Syria “from areas Turkey controls in Idlib.”

“Even though we are patient, this time our patience will be limited. We will not be waiting endlessly for Turkey to fulfil its commitments,” he said.

Syria’s state news agency SANA reported Thursday that the government had agreed to a truce in Idlib on condition a Turkish-Russian buffer-zone deal is implemented.

It cited a military source who announced the regime’s “approval for a cease-fire in the de-escalation zone in Idlib starting from tonight” on the condition that jihadists and rebels withdraw forces and weaponry from a buffer zone as per a September accord.