Turkey, Russia, opposition discuss ceasefire plan for Syria

Turkey and Russia are discussing a countrywide ceasefire for Syria with unconfirmed reports indicating the two countries have agreed a plan to implement the ceasefire.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Thursday that they are planning to implement the ceasefire before the end of the year. 

The discussions include meetings with representatives from opposition factions in Ankara. In recent weeks, Ankara has hosted a number of closed-doors meetings involving Russia and opposition representatives.

Labeeb al-Nahhas head of foreign relations for Ahrar al-Sham group said Thursday that opposition factions did not receive any official ceasefire proposal while Munir al-Sayyal head of political relations for the group said opposition factions reject Russian demands to exclude eastern Ghouta from the ceasefire deal.

Orient Net obtained draft proposals submitted by Syrian opposition representatives in the Turkish-Russian meeting held in Ankara Tuesday. The proposals included:

- Implementing a ceasefire on all the Syrian soil, ISIS- controlled areas are not included. 

- Turkey secures the Syrian opposition’s commitment to the announced ceasefire.

- Russia secures Assad regime’s and its allies’ commitment to the ceasefire.

- Russia and Turkey guarantee that no side will take control of new areas.

- Russia and Turkey suggest an appropriate mechanism to observe the ceasefire after the agreement of the concerned parties.

- Launching negotiations to reach a political solution within a month after month of coming the proposed ceasefire into effect.

- Allowing all humanitarian aid supplies to reach besieged areas in a new plan. The implementation would be secured by Russia and Turkey.

On Thursday, Russian airstrikes on multiple cities in Idlib and Damascus eastern countryside killed at least nine civilians and injured others.