Turkey and Russia resume joint patrols in northern Syria

ISTANBUL — Turkey and Russia have restarted joint military patrols in northern Syria after a nearly year-long hiatus, as announced by the Turkish Defense Ministry on Saturday. The patrols are taking place in the Operation Peace Spring area, a 30-kilometer strip along the Turkey-Syria border, which was seized from Kurdish fighters by Turkish and allied Syrian forces in 2019. This resumption of patrols coincides with Turkey's efforts to mend relations with Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose regime is backed by Moscow. The Turkish Defense Ministry indicated that the first resumed patrol involved 24 Turkish personnel and four vehicles, focusing on the eastern end of the Operation Peace Spring area. The ministry emphasized that the ongoing patrols aim to enhance border security, protect civilians, and establish stability in northern Syria. Additionally, the operations will target the identification of Kurdish fighters' military structures, particularly those associated with the YPG, which Turkey designates as a terrorist organization due to its connections with the PKK. The joint patrols mark a significant development, as Turkish and Russian forces had previously conducted 344 patrols in the region from November 2019 until their suspension in October 2022. The renewed collaboration comes amid Assad's conditions for engaging with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which include the withdrawal of Turkish troops and cessation of Ankara's support for Syrian factions deemed terrorist by Damascus. The situation remains complex, particularly given the U.S. partnership with the YPG since 2014 in the fight against the Islamic State, which has strained relations between Turkey and the United States, both NATO allies.