24 February 2016•Update: 25 February 2016
ISTANBUL
A senior Turkish minister on Wednesday night warned of the risks associated with the U.S.-Russian deal for a cessation of hostilities in Syria.
In televised remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus welcomed the deal to temporarily halt fighting but added the process “contains a danger” in that Russia and the Syrian government have said they would continue to attack “terrorists”.
According to Turkey and other members of the anti-Daesh coalition, both Moscow and Damascus have been attacking moderate opposition under the guise of fighting terrorists such as Daesh and the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.
The agreement announced by the U.S. and Russia earlier in the week is for a cessation of hostilities to begin on midnight Friday local time. It is hoped it will allow for further aid to be delivered to desperate Syrians.
Kurtulmus said Turkey would continue to respond to cross-border threats but would not initiate any military action. Turkish units have recently bombarded Syrian terror group PYD -- which is affiliated with PKK terrorist organization -- positions in northern Syria.
Daesh and the Nusra Front are excluded from the cessation of hostilities.
According to the UN figures released several months ago, more than 250,000 have been killed since the Syrian war began in 2011. This week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that around 400,000 people had died and 12 million people been displaced since the war started.
