Turkey and Russia have developed a proposal for a ceasefire in Syria aimed at paving the way for political talks. Much remains unclear about the proposed talks in Kazakhstan.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/M. Pala
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Turkey and Russia have reached agreement on a proposal to implement a country-wide ceasefire in Syria, Turkish state media reported on Wednesday.
Citing Turkish government sources, Anadolu Agency reported Turkey and Russia have agreed on a ceasefire plan to present to the warring sides of the conflict ahead of planned peace talks in the Kazakhstan next month.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Dmitry Peskov didn't comment on the report, saying he didn't have "sufficient information."
The ceasefire proposal aims to pause fighting between the Syrian army and "pro-regime foreign terrorist groups" on one side and the armed opposition on the other by Thursday in order to create an environment conducive to political talks, Anadolu said. The ceasefire would not include terrorist groups, though the report did not specify which groups would be given the "terrorist" label.
Anadolu reported Russia and Turkey would act as "guarantors" of the ceasefire.
Turkey considers the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) and the US-backed Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) as terrorist groups. Syria and Russia consider large parts of the armed opposition as terrorist groups, including Fateh al-Sham, formerly the al Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front, as well as other Islamist and jihadi factions backed byTurkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Disagreement over which groups should be considered terrorists has torpedoed previous international efforts led by Russia and the United States to implement a sustained ceasefire.
What groups are indicated in wording describing foreign militia backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as "terrorists" was also unclear. Russia began its intervention in Syria in September 2015 to support Assad's forces, changing the trajectory of the nearly six-year war in the regime's favor. His army gutted after defections and years of fighting, Assad has relied heavily on fighters from the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah and Iran-backed Shiite militia.
Russia's intervention and the reversion of eastern Aleppo to government control earlier this month has prompted a sharp reversal in Turkey's policy of seeking to oust Assad. But deep divisions over the role of Assad in any political transition remain between Turkey, the West and the Arab Gulf states on one side, and Russia and Iran on the other. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday that the Syrian opposition would not accept Assad remaining in power.
Iran, Russia and Turkey announced last week they had agreed to broker planned peace talks to be held between the Syrian regime and the opposition in the Kazakh capital, Astana. The talks exclude the United States, but, according to the joint declaration, aim to support an elusive UN-led peace process. Responding to the proposed talks on Wednesday, Germany's foreign ministry said it supported a resolution of the conflict but that any efforts by Iran, Russia and Turkey should not replace those of the UN.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that it was in contact with the Syrian regime and opposition. But the Saudi-based High Negotiations Committee, which collects the political and armed opposition under a single negotiating body, said it had not been consulted. Riad Hijab, general coordinator for the High Negotiations Committee, did, however, say the opposition would support confidence building measures ahead of political talks.
How the Syrian civil war began - and gave 'Islamic State' room to grow
Although the emergence of "IS" prompted international intervention in Syria, the jihadist group entered the conflict late in the game. DW examines how the war created space for this terrorist group to expand.
Image: AP
The "Arab Spring" effect
In 2011, as regimes crumble across the region, tens of thousands of Syrians take to the streets to protest against corruption, high unemployment and soaring food prices. The Syrian government responds with live ammunition, claiming some 400 lives by May.
Image: dapd
Condemnation without consensus
At the urging of Western countries, the UN Security Council condemns the violent crackdown. The EU and US implement an arms embargo, visa bans and asset freezes in the months that follow. With the backing of the Arab League, calls eventually grow for the Syrian president's departure. But not all UN members agree with this demand.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Szenes
Assad refuses to back down
Bashar al-Assad - who has been in power since the death of his father in 2000 - sees his reputation wane with the continuing unrest. He refuses to end decades-long emergency rule, which allows for surveillance and interrogation. Russia backs its ally, supplying weapons and vetoing UN resolutions on Syria multiple times.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Y. Badawi
The opposition gets organized
By the end of the year, human rights groups and the UN have evidence of human rights abuses. Civilians and military deserters are slowly beginning to organize themselves to fight back against government forces, which have been targeting dissidents. More than 5,000 have died so far in the fighting. It will take another six months before the UN acknowledges that a war is taking place on Syrian soil.
Image: Reuters/Goran Tomasevic
Outside intervention
In September 2012, Iran confirms that it has fighters on the ground in Syria - a fact long denied by Damascus. The presence of allied troops underscores the hesitance of the US and other Western powers to intervene in the conflict. The US, stung by failed interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, sees dialogue as the only reasonable solution.
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Fleeing the conflict
As the death toll nears 100,000, the number of refugees in neighboring countries - such as Turkey and Jordan - hits one million. That number will double by September 2013. The West and the Arab League have seen all attempts at a transitional government fail in the two years of war, watching as fighting spills over into Turkey and Lebanon. They fear Assad will stay in power by any means possible.
Image: Reuters/B. Khabieh
No united front against Assad
Assad has long claimed he's combatting terrorists. But it's not until the second year of war that the fragmented Free Syrian Army is definitely known to include radical extremists. The group Al-Nusra Front pledges allegiance to al Qaeda, further splintering the opposition.
Image: Reuters/A. Abdullah
From brute force to chemical warfare
In June 2013, the White House says it has evidence that Assad has been using sarin nerve gas on civilians - a report later backed by the UN. The discovery pushes US President Barack Obama and other Western leaders toward considering the use of military force. However, Russia's proposal to remove the chemical weapons ultimately wins out.
Image: Reuters
Islamic State emerges
Reports of a new jihadist group calling itself the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) emerge in the final weeks of 2013. Taking land in northern Syria and Iraq, the group sparks infighting among the opposition, with some 500 dead by early 2014. The unexpected emergence of IS ultimately draws the US, France, Saudi Arabia and other nations into the war.
