Delegations of Turkey, Russia Meet After Idlib Attack

People fleeing from Idlib towards the border (Source and photo: AA)

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Following the second attack on Turkey's troops in Syria's Idlib, Turkey's Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın met the delegation to discuss the latest developments in Idlib, northwestern Syria, said a statement by Turkey's Presidency.

The delegation was led by Russia's Syria envoy and included military and intelligence representatives.

In the two-hour meeting, Kalın condemned the attacks on Turkey's troops in Idlib and said they must stop.

Five soldiers lost their lives and five others were wounded in yesterday's (February 10) attack in Idlib.

Kalın said the Syrian government is "clearly violating" the 2018 Sochi agreement between Turkey and Russia, which bans acts of aggression in the area.

He added that Russia should do what it has to do as a guarantor state under the agreement.

Kalın stressed that Turkey is determined to take a variety of measures against such attacks, which aim to "sabotage" the political process.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy offered condolences and declared support after the attack.

"We send our condolences to the friends and families of the five Turkish soldiers killed today and [wish a] speedy recovery to those wounded," the embassy said on Twitter. "We stand by our NATO ally Turkey and will continue to oppose the normalization of the Assad regime into the international community."

Erdoğan's meeting with senior officials

In the wake of the attack, President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with state officials in the capital Ankara.

In the meeting, it was decided that the attack would be responded to as many times as possible so "the blood of the martyrs would not be shed in vain."

The meeting was attended by Vice President Fuat Oktay, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Chief of General Staff General Yaşar Güler, Head of National Intelligence Hakan Fidan, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun and President of Defense Industries İsmail Demir.

It was emphasized that "no kind of attack can deter Turkey from its commitments in Idlib, including preventing any kind of conflict, providing border security and preventing a new wave of migration and human tragedy."

What happened?

Five soldiers were killed and five others were wounded in artillery shelling by Syrian government forces on Turkey's military post in Taftanaz, Idlib.

Within hours after the attack, the Ministry of National Defense claimed in a tweet that 115 targets were hit in retaliation and 101 military personnel were "neutralized," adding that three tanks, two howitzer positions and one helicopter were also hit.

In a previous attack on February 3 by the government forces in Idlib seven soldiers and one civilian contractor working with the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) lost their lives. In retaliation, Turkey stated that it struck more than 50 targets and killed 76 soldiers of Syria.

Idlib has been a stronghold of the anti-government armed groups since they took over the province in 2015.

In September 2018, Turkey and Russia agreed to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited. (EKN/VK)