MOSCOW. Jan 13 (Interfax) - The agreement between Russian and Turkish military officials on coordination of airstrikes will become a turning point in the military operation in Syria, Federation Council defense and security committee's first deputy head Franz Klintsevich told Interfax on Thursday.
"This is a serious breakthrough. This is a very important turning point to settle very many issues in conflict settlement in Syria," the senator said.
"It is necessary to understand that Turkey not just borders on Syria. Turkey is one of the NATO countries with powerful and well-prepared armed forces," Klintsevich said.
The Russian and Turkish military officials discussed cooperation in Syria in the fight against ISIL (the group outlawed in Russia) at the consultations in Moscow on Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry information and mass communications department told Interfax. The memorandum regarding prevention of incidents during operations in Syrian airspace was signed at the consultations.
"The document stipulates the mechanisms of coordination and interaction between the aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces and the Turkish Air Force while delivering strikes on terrorist sites," the Russian ministry said.
The document also determines the order of actions by the parties to prevent incidents while aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles are flying in Syrian airspace, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
A truce has been in effect in Syria since December 30, 2016. The agreement on a new truce in Syria was drafted by Russia and Turkey. Armed units which have joined the new truce number 60,000 people, the Russian Defense Ministry said earlier.
A joint Russian-Turkish commission is overseeing breaches of the truce agreement in line with this agreement.