ANKARA 24 August 2024 (TDI): Turkiye’s defense ministry announced the resumption of joint ground patrols by Turkish and Russian forces in northeast Syria. The operations, which involve armored vehicles, had been paused last year due to security concerns.
According to a Reuters report, the patrols resumed on Thursday in the eastern part of the “Operation Peace Spring” zone, with around four vehicles and 24 security personnel participating. However, the ministry did not specify the security issues that led to the suspension of these operations in October 2023. Since 2019, a total of 344 joint patrols have been conducted in the area, the ministry noted.
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Turkiye and its Syrian rebel allies launched “Operation Peace Spring” in 2019, with the objective of pushing back the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeast Syria. That same year, an agreement between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin led to the establishment of joint patrols in the region.
The defense ministry also stated that these joint patrols would continue in the future to promote stability in northeast Syria, safeguard Turkiye’s borders, and highlight Turkish-Russian cooperation in combating terrorism.
