Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar reported Wednesday that Turkey and Russia will resume joint patrols in northern Syria following the agreement reached between the two countries and with the aim of tackling terrorism and migration.
«Necessary agreements were reached. This process will continue with the establishment of joint centers and the resumption of joint patrols and meetings between experts,» he has asserted.
Thus, he stressed that the wish of Russia and Turkey is that the process «continues in a reasonable, logical and successful way», according to information reported by the Turkish daily ‘Hurriyet’.
Akar responded to questions about his recent meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu and Syrian Defense Minister Ali Mahmoud Abbas. The meeting was the first between senior Syrian and Turkish officials since the outbreak of the civil war in 2011.
The minister stressed that Turkey «has always been respectful of the sovereignty and rights of neighboring countries» and emphasized that its purpose is «to protect citizens and its own borders from the actions of terrorists».
«Our desire is to successfully fight terrorism. This is what we want to do,» he has stressed in relation to the agreement between the two countries to carry out patrolling work in northern Syria according to the protocol agreed in 2019.
In addition, Akar has pointed out that another of Ankara’s priorities is to «return to Syria the migrants it has been taking in over the past decade.» «We want to return our Syrian brothers voluntarily and with dignity to their country,» he has asserted.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
