Date: Jan 26, 2019 Source: The Daily Star Syria calls on Turkey to withdraw from Syria under 1998 plan Associated Press DAMASCUS: Syria is calling on Turkey to withdraw its troops from the country's north and end support for armed opposition groups in order to revive a two-decade old bilateral security agreement. Russia has encouraged Turkey and Syria to refer to the 1998 treaty to deal with security concerns along their shared borders in the wake of the planned U.S. troop withdrawal from northern Syria. Turkey says the 1998 treaty gives it the right to move into Syria, justifying its troop deployment in the country and a possible new offensive designed to push out the Syrian Kurdish militia that Ankara considers to be an existential threat. Russia says Damascus should regain control of territories after U.S. troops withdraw and urged Turkey to talk to the Syrian government to stabilize the border areas.