Turkish, Russian foreign ministers discuss Syria

Turkey's foreign minister spoke via telephone with his Russian counterpart on Monday and discussed recent developments in Syria, according to a diplomatic source on Monday.

Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Sergey Lavrov discussed matters pertaining to Syria's northwestern Idlib, Astana peace process and establishment of Syrian constitutional committee, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The Astana peace process -- brokered by Turkey and Russia -- which ensures cease-fire and a de-escalation zone in Idlib, contributed to the revival of Geneva negotiations, which began in June 2012 under the supervision of the UN.

Following a meeting on Sept. 17, 2018 in the Russian city of Sochi between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the two sides agreed to set up a demilitarized zone -- in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited -- in Syria's Idlib province.

The Syrian regime and its allies, however, have consistently broken the terms of the cease-fire, launching frequent attacks inside the de-escalation zone.