The US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack today said that Israel and Syria have agreed to a ceasefire after Israel launched air strikes on the country which it claimed were aimed at protecting an Arab religious minority Druze community.
Clashes between pro-government forces and the Druze have killed scores of people since the fall of Syria’s longtime ruler, Bashar al-Assad. The announcement of truce between came as renewed clashes continued between Druze groups and Bedouin clans in Syria’s southern Sweida province, which has killed more than 300 people and left thousands of people displaced in the region, triggering a humanitarian crisis.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin yesterday expressing concern that the clashes in Syria pose a threat to the stability of the entire region.
The two leaders talked about the escalating tensions in Syria’s southern province of Sweida. Erdogan underlined the importance of Israel not violating Syria’s sovereignty, reaffirming Turkiye’s commitment to promoting stability and security in Syria, and supporting the country’s recovery. In a statement, the Kremlin said the two leaders had a detailed exchange of views on the events unfolding in the Middle East, including the escalation in Syria.
