Turkey intends to establish Syria ceasefire before 2017

Turkey aims to establish a ceasefire in Syria before the new year, and will act together with Russia as a guarantor of the deal, the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

"We are on the verge of an agreement with Russia. If everything goes alright, we will make this agreement. Russia will be the guarantor of the regime," Cavusoglu said, adding the deal could be implemented before the new year.

Cavusoglu also said all foreign fighter groups in Syria - including Hezbollah - need to leave the country.

"Russia and Turkey are guarantors in the agreement being worked on in Ankara. There is nothing final on whether Iran will sign it as a guarantor... All foreign fighters need to leave Syria. Hezbollah needs to return to Lebanon," Reuters cited him as saying.

Cavusoglu's comments appear to signal tentative progress in talks aimed at reaching a truce. However, Ankara's insistence on the departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could complicate negotiations with Russia.