Turkish and Russian troops in armored vehicles have resumed joint ground patrols in northeast Syria after operations were halted last year for security reasons, Turkey’s defense ministry said on Friday, Reuters reported.
The joint ground patrol was relaunched on Thursday into the east of the “Operation Peace Spring” zone in northeast Syria, involving four vehicles and 24 personnel, the statement said.
The ministry did not elaborate on the security issues that halted joint patrol operations in October last year. A total of 344 joint patrols had been conducted in the area since 2019, the ministry said.
In 2019 Turkey and its Syrian rebel allies began military operations in northeast Syria called “Operation Peace Spring,” aiming to drive back Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
That year, Ankara and Moscow agreed to conduct joint patrols in the region under a deal struck by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
Joint ground patrols will continue in the near future to establish stability in northeast Syria, ensure the security of Turkey’s borders and demonstrate Turkish-Russian cooperation in the fight against terrorism, the defense ministry said.
Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler recently told Reuters that Ankara will consider withdrawing its military forces from northern Syria only after a comprehensive new constitution is accepted, free elections are held and border security is fully guaranteed.
In a written interview with Reuters, Güler emphasized that these conditions are essential for ensuring stability and security in the region and that any discussion of a Turkish pullout hinges on meeting these prerequisites. He also mentioned that Turkey is willing to support these processes and would coordinate a withdrawal only once border security is assured.
Güler also hinted at the possibility of ministerial-level talks between Turkey and Syria, provided the right conditions are met.
This follows Erdoğan’s recent openness to engaging in dialogue with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, although Assad has stated that talks would only be viable if they focus on Turkey’s withdrawal from Syrian territory. Erdoğan has also indicated a willingness to reconcile with Assad, even suggesting the possibility of inviting him to Turkey.
Turkey currently hosts approximately 3.2 million Syrian refugees, whose future is a contentious issue in Turkish politics.