Ankara seeks to reconcile with Assad after nearly a year’s break in Turkey and Russia’s joint patrols on the Syrian side of the border.
Turkey and Russia have resumed joint military patrols in northern Syria after nearly a year’s break, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced on Saturday.
Combined patrols began in the Operation Peace Spring area, the statement said, referring to a 30-kilometer (19-mile) -deep strip of land on the Syrian side of the Turkey-Syria border between Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ayn. The territory was captured from Kurdish fighters by Turkish and allied Syrian forces in 2019.
The renewed Turkish-Russian patrols come as Ankara is trying to repair its relations with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose regime draws support from Moscow.
