Death Toll Increases to Three in Idlib, Erdoğan Has Announced

* Photo: Mustafa Kamacı - AA

Click to read the article in Turkish

President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke at the inaugural lecture of "AKP Academy of Politics" at the AKP Headquarters in Ankara today (February 27).

Erdoğan has announced that the number of soldiers who have lost their lives in the aerial attack in Syria's Idlib has increased to three.

CLICK - Two Soldiers Lose Their Lives in Syria's Idlib

"The developments in Idlib are now in our favor", Erdoğan has said and added, "We have three martyrs. However, apart from that, the losses of regime forces are great. There is no need to spell them out one by one. The struggle still continues there. The talks with Russians do and will continue. We are in Idlib, depending on Adana Agreement."

Some highlights from Erdoğan's speech are as follows:

'No one is permanent'

"Nowadays, [main opposition CHP Chair] Mr. Kemal is saying some things. They are supposedly coming [to power]. A hungry hen imagines herself in a granary. You have been saying the same things since the single-party rule. We are coming, we are about to come... You are still coming, apparently.

"This nation will not surrender this land to you. You made this nation suffer terribly. That is why... This nation is Muslim and it is so alert that it will not be bitten on the same spot twice. Governments have come and gone throughout history. It was just yesterday that Hosni Mubarak died.

"What was he in Egypt and what is he now? No one is permanent.

Idlib

"The developments in Idlib are now in our favor. We have three martyrs. However, apart from that, the losses of regime forces are great.

"There is no need to spell them out one by one. The struggle still continues there. The talks with Russians do and will continue. We are in Idlib, depending on Adana Agreement.

'If you love Assad so much...'

"If you love him so much, then go and meet him. Your men meet them anyway. The results they get are clear. If you do not see what kind of a murderer Assad is, what else can I say to you! But for the support of Russia and Iran, Assad cannot stand.

"Terrorist organizations are waging a supported struggle. Who are standing behind them? PYD*, PKK**... They are supporting them. And we are there with Syrian National Army. He can be the friend of Mr. Kemal, so be it. He cannot be our [friend]."

18 soldiers lost their lives in Idlb

On February 3, 2020, eight personnel of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), including one civilian, lost their lives in Idlib.

A week later, on February 19, five soldiers were killed in an artillery fire opened by the Syrian army.

When the Ministry of National Defense released a statement on February 20 and announced that two soldiers lost their lives in an aerial attack, the number of Turkey's soldiers who died in Idlib increased to 15. With this recent attack. 18 soldiers in total have lost their lives in the province since the beginning of this year. (TP/SD)

 * Democratic Union Party (PYD)

** Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)