The Russian and Turkish military conducted joint patrols in the province of Hasakeh near the town of Qamishli, populated by Kurds, in northeastern Syria. It has already become the 222nd after the signing of the "Memorandum of Understanding between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey" in 2019.
Turkey has erected a concrete wall on the border with Syria to combat smuggling and illegal migration. It stretches for hundreds of kilometers. The fence consists of concrete blocks 2 m wide and 3 m high plus barbed wire. An entire electronic surveillance system has been installed along the entire line.
An 85-kilometer joint patrol route begins from the border checkpoint. The column includes two Russian army armored vehicles "Tiger", a high-security vehicle "Typhoon" and an armored personnel carrier, as well as four Turkish Kirpi armored cars. The equipment of the two countries goes in a column mixed with each other at a certain speed and interval.
Civilians, especially children, willingly welcome the military.
Previously, militants operated on this highway, and thanks to the Russian-Turkish patrol, the road became calm and free for civilian traffic again.
For the Turkish side, joint patrolling makes it possible to ensure the security of its border areas. The mission of the Russian military is to support the territorial integrity of Syria, check the condition of important roads and identify illegal armed formations.
"During the patrol, settlements were inspected, no security threats were identified. The civilian population greeted the convoy in a friendly manner, I want to note that the Russian servicemen showed high skill, and the Russian equipment once again confirmed its high reliability," said Igor Smoliy, representative of the Center for Reconciliation of the Warring Parties in Syria.
In 2017, a de-escalation zone was created in northwestern Syria. Since March 6, 2020, a ceasefire has been in effect there after agreements reached between Russia and Turkey, but terrorists regularly violate the truce. Since 2017, Turkey has conducted three military operations in northern Syria.
Russia and Turkey have agreed on joint actions to resolve the situation in the northeastern regions of Syria. Russian military police and Syrian servicemen were brought into the areas bordering the Turkish operation zone, Kurdish formations were given 150 hours to liberate a 30-kilometer zone from the border with Turkey. The withdrawal of the Kurdish units took place in accordance with the agreements, Turkey and Russia began joint patrols.
