The leaders of Turkey, Russia, France and Germany on Saturday called for a ceasefire around the last major rebel-held bastion of Idlib in Syria to be preserved.
The leaders of Turkey, Russia, France and Germany on Saturday called for a ceasefire around the last major rebel-held bastion of Idlib in Syria to be preserved.
The four nations « stressed the importance of a lasting ceasefire » according to a statement read by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the end of a major summit in Istanbul.
Erdogan, along with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, France’s Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met to try and find a lasting solution to the Syrian conflict, in which more than 360,000 people have been killed since 2011.
After a joint press conference, Macron urged Russia, which supports the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to exercise « very clear pressure » on Damascus for a « stable and lasting ceasefire in Idlib ».
Last month rebel backer Turkey agreed with Russia to create a buffer zone around Idlib amid fears of a impending assault on the northwestern province that many feared would lead to a humanitarian disaster.
However clashes have continued in Idlib since, and on Friday seven civilians were killed by Syrian regime artillery fire, the highest death toll since the ceasefire was reached.
A joint statement adopted at the end of the summit called for a committee to be established to draft a new Syrian constitution before the end of the year, « paving the way for free and fair elections » in the war-torn country.
The statement also spoke of « the need to ensure humanitarian organisations’ rapid, safe and unhindered access throughout Syria and immediate humanitarian assistance to reach all people in need. »
It also said that conditions needed to created « throughout the country for the safe and voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons ».
