Russia, Turkey assert keenness on maintaining Syrian unity

MOSCOW, Oct 23 (MENA) - Russian and Turkey asserted their keenness on the integrity of Syrian territories and preserving national security for Turkey.

Both countries asserted willingness to combat all kinds of terror in Syria.

This comes after talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who met in the southern Russian resort city of Sochi on Tuesday with a shared agenda of shaping the endgame in Syria's eight-year civil war, Sputnik news agency.

The two leaders unveiled a 10-point memorandum of understanding.

Russia and Turkey announced a wide-ranging agreement that addresses a major Turkish concern -- the presence of Kurdish YPG forces near their border. But it also acknowledges a major fear of the Kurds -- that Turkish-backed Syrian rebel groups might unleash a campaign of ethnic cleansing against them and other minority groups.

Under the deal, Russian military police and Syrian border guards will enter the Syrian side of the Syrian-Turkish border from noon Wednesday.

Over the next 150 hours, they are to remove the YPG and their weapons, back to 30 km (about 18 miles) from the border.

From 6 p.m. local time next Tuesday, the Russian military police and Turkish military will begin patrols along that line.