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SYRIA-CONFLICT-TURKEY-RUSSIA
Turkey urges Russia to halt regime attacks in Syria
ISTANBUL, Feb 6, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Turkey urged Russia on Thursday to
press for an end to the Syrian offensive in the last rebel bastion of Idlib
after a deadly flare-up this week.
“We expect Russia to stop the regime as soon as possible,” Foreign
Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in the Azerbaijani capital Baku.
Turkey and Russia back opposing sides in the Syrian conflict, but have
worked to find political solutions in the northwestern province of Idlib.
A renewed offensive by Syrian forces has undermined existing peace
agreements and led to deadly clashes between Turkish and Syrian forces in
which more than 20 soldiers and personnel were killed on Monday.
Cavusoglu said Turkey and Russia were closely coordinating after the
clashes, adding that a delegation from Russia was due to visit Turkey for
further talks.
“Our target on the ground in Idlib is not Russia,” he said.
“Who carried out the attack there? It is the regime. Who attacked our
soldiers? It’s the regime … Who harassed our observation posts? It is the
regime.”
He said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart
Vladimir Putin could meet “if needed”.
“We should continue working together with Russia. If we are to solve
problems there, we will solve them together,” added Cavusoglu.
Erdogan on Wednesday urged Syria to withdraw its troops from Turkey’s
military observation posts in Idlib, warning that Turkey would take matters
into its own hands if this was not done by the end of February.
Under a 2018 deal with Moscow, Turkey has 12 observation posts in Idlib
aimed at preventing a regime offensive.
The outposts at Morek and Surman are now encircled by regime forces, and
Turkish troops at another post in Saraqeb shelled Syrian forces on Wednesday
to prevent it also being surrounded, according to the Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights.
Turkey has yet to comment on clashes at Saraqeb, but Cavusoglu said it
would not allow “aggression” by Assad’s forces.
“Of course there is a limit to our patience. After we had eight martyrs,
we retaliated… If the regime keeps on its aggression, we will not stop
there,” he said.
BSS/AFP/RY/1640 hrs