Russia proposes to revive Adana Agreement between Syria, Turkey

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov, presented a proposal that Turkey deploys troops in northern Syria according to a previous agreement between Syria and Turkey in 1998, Russia’s Tass news agency said on Friday. 

Lavrov’s proposal came in an informal contact to return to the Adana Agreement.

The Adana Agreement was concluded between Syria and Turkey on Oct. 20, 1998 in the Turkish city of Adana and included the following points: “Syria would not permit any activity which was deemed as jeopardizing the security and stability of Turkey.”  

“This agreement is still in force, no one has denounced it,” Lavrov said at a meeting with students and faculty of Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University). 

According to the Russian top diplomat, the normalization problems between Damascus and Ankara stem from “another reason” that is “the illegal activities of the US in northeastern Syria.”  

He pointed out that the Astana troika, i.e. Russia, Iran, and Turkey “respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria.”  

By John Ahmad