Iran, a close ally and military backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, welcomed a U.S.
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But there have been signs of greater harmony between Ankara and Moscow on Syria since a June deal to normalise their own ties following the crisis over the shooting down of a Russian war plane.
The two powers back opposite sides of the conflict, with Moscow supporting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and the United States behind a coalition of rebel groups it regards as moderate.
Key to the deal is the delivery of desperately needed aid to civilians in rebel-held areas of Syria’s second city Aleppo which are under siege by government forces.
Iran also plays an important part in the conflict as its Shia militias are fighting alongside Syrian government troops.
Washington and Moscow reached the breakthrough deal early on Saturday to try to restore peace in Syria, but air strikes hours later on a busy market place that killed and injured dozens added to rebels’ doubts that any ceasefire could hold.
The Geneva negotiating session, which lasted more than 13 hours, underscored the complexity of a conflict that includes myriad militant groups, shifting alliances and the rival interests of the USA and Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran, and Turkey and the Kurds.
The statement said that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had “closely followed” the process to secure the ceasefire, following talks with Russian and USA counterparts Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama on the sidelines of the G20 in China. The United States has committed to help weaken Fath al-Sham, the extremist group that has intermingled with the US -backed opposition in places.
Over 2,000 people have been killed in fighting over the past 40 days in Aleppo, including 700 civilians and 160 children, according to a Syrian human rights group. After a week, American and Russian forces will begin cooperating to target Islamic State and al Qaeda militants in Syria.
The arrangement has divided rebel factions, who have depended on the might of the powerful al-Qaida-linked Jabhat Fatah al-Sham faction to resist government advances around the contested city of Aleppo.
“We are waiting for Russian Federation to persuade the regime that is necessary to commit to this agreement” she added. Basma Kodmani, of the High Negotiations Committee, told The Associated Press that Russian Federation should pressure Assad to abide by the deal, adding enforcement mechanisms will be needed including the “cessation of hostilities and the grounding (of) regime air forces”.
A cease-fire will begin Monday at sundown, permitting much-needed humanitarian aid to make its way into Syria’s devastated cities. The two sides are also holding talks on coordinating more closely the air operations they are both conducting in Syria.
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Lister said there is no hiding the fact that mainstream opposition forces are extensively “marbled” or “coupled” with Jabhat Fatah al-Sham forces on front lines in southern, central and northwestern Syria. He added that the group enjoys fighting the “coalition of the Crusaders” saying they have a large number of suicide attackers for the mission.
