Putin says talks with Erdogan have yielded ‘momentous’ results for Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that talks with his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan had yielded what he called momentous results for Syria, but did not say what they were.

Putin, speaking at a news conference in southern Russia with Erdogan, said the two countries’ foreign ministers would disclose what had been agreed between the two men later.

Putin was speaking after the commander of Kurdish forces in northeast Syria told the United States he had met all obligations set out in a US-brokered truce.

Following the brief press conference for the two leaders, their foreign ministers held another press conference where Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow and Ankara have agreed that the Kurdish YPG militia would pull back 30 km (19 miles) from the Syrian border in a deal he heralded as one that would end the bloodshed in the region.

The YPG, is a key component in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that have for years fought alongside US troops against ISIS.

Lavrov said the Kurds would also withdraw from the towns of Manbij and Tel Rifaat.

He added that the Russian military police and Syrian border guards would be deployed on the Syrian side of the border with Turkey from noon on Oct. 23 outside the zone of Turkey’s military operation.