Russia and Turkey reached an agreement on a cease-fire to begin at midnight on Thursday, hopefully ending violence in northwestern Syria that has rapidly escalated over the past week. The deal will also set up a security corridor along a key highway in the Idlib province that has been a source of conflict as of late. The two countries hope to end fighting in the Idlib region and end suffering of the civilian population in the province.
However, the deal also prevents Syrian President Bashar Assad’s push to reclaim the territory, which is currently under rebel control. The region borders Turkey and therefore has had heavy Turkish influence. 900,00 Syrians have been displaced by the fighting, and the two countries reportedly agreed to help refugees return to their homes. Both leaders had also gone into the Kremlin talks, which lasted six hours, aiming to come to an agreement.
Read More: Russia, Turkey reach cease-fire deal in northwestern Syria
