Turkey and Russia are currently in talks over a protocol to coordinate combat flights in the Syrian airspace to prevent incidents, a Turkish military source told Hurriyet Daily News.
While working on a draft protocol, both sides reached a "gentleman’s agreement," the source said. According to the agreement, one side must not enter the area where the other side is conducting combat operations.
The decision to coordinate combat flights over Syria was made on September 15 at a meeting in Ankara between Russian Military Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov and his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar.
This was the first visit by a Russian high-profile military commander to Turkey after a Turkish jet shot down a Russian bomber over Syria in November 2015. After the incident, contacts between the Russian and Turkish militaries were suspended.
During the meeting, Moscow and Ankara agreed to establish a direct hot line as well as communication channels between the Russian and Turkish air forces to prevent incidents. (Sputnik)