Talks between Turkish and Russian officials on developments in northeast Syria have concluded and the two delegations have "largely" reached an agreement, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar was quoted as saying by state media on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Russia had informed Turkey that the Syrian Kurdish YPG had left a planned "safe zone" within a deadline set by Ankara and Moscow. Under their agreement, Russia and Turkey were then due to start joint patrols.
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"Inter-delegation talks with Russia were concluded a short while ago. An agreement was largely reached. Our efforts continue in a mutually constructive, understanding way," Akar was quoted as saying by the state-run Anadolu news agency.
On Tuesday, Iran and Russia condemned US President Donald Trump's decision to maintain a military presence near oil fields in northeastern Syria, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying any exploitation of resources would be illegal.
Trump's suggestion on Sunday that Exxon Mobil Corp or another US oil company operate Syrian oil fields drew rebukes from legal and energy experts.
The United States will strengthen its military presence in Syria with "mechanized forces" to prevent Islamic State fighters seizing oil fields and revenue, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Friday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif addressed the issue at a news conference in Geneva on Tuesday evening after meeting with his counterparts, Russia's Lavrov and Turkey's Mevlut Cavusoglu.
"Well it seems that the United States is staying to protect the oil. And at least President Trump is honest to say what the United States intends to do," Zarif said to laughter.
Lavrov said that the return of US forces to Syria, after their transfer to Iraq, was "under the pretext of protecting oil deposits from the Islamic State," but that in essence the exploitation of a state's natural resources without its consent was illegal.
