Russia, Iran, Turkey to enforce cease-fire in Syria

Jan. 24 (UPI) -- Russia, Iran and Turkey on Tuesday agreed to enforce a cease-fire in the Syrian civil war following peace negotiations in Kazakhstan.

It is not clear if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime or if the rebel opposition support the measure announced by the countries. Prior to the conclusion of the two-day peace talks, the rebels said "no agreements" would be signed.

The peace negotiations in Kazakhstan's capital of Astana were aimed at bringing an end to the nearly six-year Syrian civil war. The talks were brokered by Russia and Iran, which support Assad, as well as Turkey, which supports rebel forces.

In a joint statement, the countries said there was no military solution to the Syrian conflict, adding that they will set up "a trilateral mechanism to observe and ensure full compliance with the cease-fire, prevent any provocations and determine all modalities."

Though Russia and Iran both back Assad, Russia has proposed scaling down its military role to focus on a political resolution, while Iran has attempted to push forward Assad's military advantage, particularly after the retaking of Aleppo.

"The Iranian role makes Assad less dependent on Russia and able to act militarily, and this is very dangerous because it undermines the Kremlin's efforts to promote some kind of political process in Syria," Alexei Malashenko, a Middle East analyst at the Carnegie Moscow Center, told Bloomberg.

Assad's regime and the rebels accuse one another of various cease-fire offenses, particularly near Damascus, the Syrian capital. In the statement, the three countries added that there is an "urgent necessity to step up efforts to jump-start the negotiation process."

The last cease-fire, brokered by Russia and Turkey, was established in late December. Peace talks in Geneva, mediated by the United Nations, are scheduled to begin Feb. 8. The Islamic State, which holds territory in Syria including its self-declared capital of Raqqa, is excluded from peace negotiations and from cease-fire agreements.