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Syria
A Turkish military convoy passes through the town of Binnish in Syria’s Idlib province on February 10, 2020. Photo: Muhammad Haj Kadour
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that he will announce new steps against the Syrian regime on Wednesday following the deaths of several Turkish soldiers by regime forces.
Five Turkish soldiers were killed and five others wounded on Monday in the northwestern province of Idlib amid intense clashes between government forces and rebels. This follows the deployment of hundreds of Turkish military vehicles to the city, where it has 12 observation posts.
Seven Turkish soldiers and a contractor were killed in a similar attack last week.
Ankara-Damacus relations have reached boiling point in recent weeks as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad battles to regain control of rebel-held areas in Idlib and Aleppo provinces.
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allied groups have been attacking Idlib, the last rebel bastion, and some parts of neighboring Aleppo since December.
Clashes have intensified in recent weeks, with the Russia-backed SAA forces recapturing tens of towns and villages from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a jihadist group which controlled much of Idlib province.
Turkey provides logistical, political, military and financial support to dozens of Syrian opposition groups.
“We will discuss at our [parliament] group meeting tomorrow the Syria issue and the steps that we will take from now on,” Erdogan said at an award ceremony in Ankara.
“We have given the necessary response to the Syrian side at the highest level [as mentioned] during the high-level meeting we held yesterday,” he added, referring to Ankara’s claim that they retaliated against Damascus by “neutralizing” about 100 regime soldiers.
“The Assad regime was dealt a resounding blow, especially in Idlib, but that is not enough. There is more to come," he warned.
The regime will “pay the price” for killing Turkish soldiers, he added.
Helicopter downed
Rebels claimed that they downed a Syria helicopter in Idlib on Tuesday, killing the two crew members on board. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) confirmed the incident.
Footage shared on social media showed a helicopter spiraling from the sky and breaking up.
A source from the Syrian army confirmed the downing of the helicopter, blaming pro-Turkish rebels.
Ankara to discuss Idlib with Moscow, Washington
Putin and Erdogan are expected to speak on the phone on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Syria, the TASS news agency cited the Kremlin.
Both leaders signed a deal in 2018 to cease war in Idlib but it did not work.
Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called on Moscow and Tehran on Tuesday to halt regime attacks in Idlib.
"Despite declaring a cease-fire, the regime again stepped up its aggression on January 12, especially with the air support provided by those who support the regime,” he said.
US Special Envoy for Syria James Jeffrey arrived in Ankara late Tuesday.
Jeffrey spoke to reporters in Turkish, describing the soldiers killed by Syrian forces in Idlib as "martyrs."
"Today, the soldiers of our ally, Turkey, are under threat in Idlib. The threat comes from Russia and Assad's government."
He added that his visit is to discuss the situation in Syria with Turkish officials and express their support.
A statement from the US Department of State earlier in the day said that Jeffrey will “discuss issues of mutual concern,” including Idlib, the Islamic State (ISIS) and the situation in Kurdish-held areas in the northeast.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also sent condolences to the families of the Turkish soldiers killed on Monday.
My condolences to the families of the soldiers killed in yesterday's attack in Idlib. The ongoing assaults by the Assad regime and Russia must stop. I've sent Jim Jeffrey to Ankara to coordinate steps to respond to this destabilizing attack. We stand by our NATO Ally #Turkey.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) February 11, 2020
Displacement
700,000 of Idlib’s three million residents have been displaced to the Turkish-Syrian border, according to the latest figures from the United Nations. Many of the displaced had previously fled to the province from fighting elsewhere in the country.
The White Helmets, a Syrian civil defense group operating in opposition-held areas, said the regime’s attacks are “threatening the lives of millions of civilians,” adding that the most recent attacks killed 12 people and injured 22 others.
The UK-based SOHR gave similar figures, saying 12 people were killed, including six children.
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