ANKARA: Turkey will strike Syrian regime forces “everywhere” if itssoldiers come under renewed attack, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warnedWednesday and accused Damascus ally Russia of committing “massacres” inIdlib.
“I hereby declare that we will strike regime forces everywhere from now onregardless of the Sochi deal if any tiny bit of harm comes to our soldiersat observation posts or elsewhere,” Erdogan told a meeting of his rulingparty in parliament.
The latest threat comes after more than a dozen Turkish soldiers werekilled in regime shelling in the northwestern province of Idlib — the lastrebel bastion in Syria.
Syrian regime forces, backed by Russian air strikes, have pressed aheadwith an offensive to retake the province from rebel groups despite the 2018Sochi ceasefire deal agreed between Turkey and Russia.
Recent direct clashes between Turkish soldiers and forces loyal toPresident Bashar al-Assad have significantly raised the stakes, as well asheightening tensions between Moscow and Ankara, the chief foreign brokersof the conflict.
In a rare move on Wednesday, Erdogan was directly critical of Russia.
“The regime, backed by Russian forces and Iran-backed militants, arecontinuously attacking civilians, committing massacres and shedding blood,”he said.
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He added that Turkey would do “whatever necessary” to push back regimeforces behind the 12 observation posts it set up in Idlib under the Sochideal in a bid to prevent a regime offensive.
But Syrian forces are advancing and taking town after town despite Ankara’swarnings.
“We are determined to push back (regime forces) behind the borders of theSochi deal by the end of February,” said Erdogan.
“We will do whatever is necessary both on the ground and in the air withoutany hesitation and without any delay.”
The Turkish leader also said that aircraft striking settlements in Idlibwould “no longer move freely”. -APP/AFP
