<span style="color: #222222;">Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar today said that talks between Turkish and Russian officials on developments in northeast Syria have concluded and the two delegations have largely reached an agreement.<br />'' Today Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that Joint Turkish-Russian patrols will begin on Friday in northeastern Syria, following a Russian-brokered cease-fire that promised to have Syrian Kurdish forces withdraw to the south.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' Meanwhile, Syrian army troops today engaged in heavy clashes with Turkish forces in the countryside around the border town of Ras al Ain in an area where a military offensive by Ankara aims to create a safe zone, state media said.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />''<br />''It did not give details but Turkish-backed rebels said intermittent clashes have taken place in recent days with Syrian troops south of Ras al Ain, which was seized from Syrian Kurdish-led forces.</span><br />