Syria’s opposition has expressed confidence that jihadist rivals will comply with a Russian-Turkish agreement and leave a demilitarized buffer zone in the northwest of the country.
On September 17, Turkey and Russia announced a 15 to 20 km wide and 100 km long zone around Idlib and northern Hama Provinces, with an estimated 3 million residents — about 20% of the population remaining in Syria.
Under the deal, which suspended a Russian-Assad regime offensive to reoccupy the area, “extremists” are to leave the zone by mid-October.
Rebels said last week that they accepted the terms. The jihadist bloc Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham has not announced an official position.
But a “senior Syrian opposition official” said Wednesday that HTS has approached the Turkish army though third parties in recent days, indicating they will comply.
“Matters are moving well and Tahrir al Sham has pledged it is going to implement but without announcing its agreement,” said the opposition official, who was briefed by Turkish officials.
Another “senior opposition figure” said he expected HTS to follow the deal’s terms, since arrangements do not force the jihadists to give up weapons.
“I foresee it will be implemented within the time set,” said Ahmed Toma, who led the opposition delegation in Russian-sponsored talks in the Kazakhstan capital Astana.
Abdul Razzak of the Turkish-support rebel coalition National Liberation Front, added, “Pulling heavy arms from the frontline is not a difficult matter as most of these weapons are deployed away from the frontline.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Tuesday the withdrawal of “radical groups” from the zone has already started. However, several rebel sources said no groups have moved yet.
