Russia and Turkey have agreed that Moscow's plan for "de-escalation zones" in war-torn Syria should bolster the country's frail truce, President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday.
"We both proceed on the basis that -- and this is our common position -- the creation of safe zones should lead to further pacification and cessation of hostilities," Putin said at a news conference alongside his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan following bilateral talks.
Putin said any proposed safe zones in Syria should become no-fly areas if fighting on the ground stops entirely.
"If there is a de-escalation zone, then planes will not fly there on condition that no military activity emanates from these zones," he said.
The intra-Syrian talks in Astana should consolidate the ceasefire regime but there are some forces sabotaging this process, Erdoğan said.
"As guarantor states, we must approach this issue very sensitively. Thanks to the meetings in Astana, at our earliest opportunity, we must strengthen this ceasefire. But some others spend their energy to sabotage this process," Erdogan said following a meeting with Putin.
Kazakhstan's capital is hosting the fourth round of talks on Syrian reconciliation, brokered by Russia, Turkey, and Iran, which are the guarantor states to the Syrian ceasefire.
