Turkey: Erdogan threatens to hit the Syrian regime in the event of a new attack

Text by: Anne Andlauer

In a telephone interview on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said they would like "full implementation" of the Russian-Turkish de-escalation agreements in Syria, particularly in the region of 'Idleb, where the Damascus regime has been waging a deadly offensive for months.

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With our correspondent in Istanbul,

In recent days, Turkish and Syrian forces have clashed violently in the Idleb region. Despite the diplomatic tone of the Russian-Turkish exchange, President Erdogan made a bantering speech on Wednesday to his parliamentary group, threatening to strike at the forces of the Syrian regime " everywhere " in the event of a new attack.

Eight Turkish soldiers were killed in Syrian regime fire in Idleb a week ago, Recep Tayyip Erdogan was giving Bashar al-Assad until the end of the month to withdraw his troops from areas taken over by the diet in recent weeks.

In these areas, the Turkish army maintains 12 military posts, under a Russian-Turkish agreement signed in Sochi in 2018. After the death of five soldiers in another confrontation on Wednesday, the tone of the Turkish president is no longer defensive, but offensive.

An offensive speech

“ We are determined, by the end of February, to push the regime beyond the borders of the Sochi agreement, that is to say beyond our observation posts. To that end, we will do the right thing, without hesitation, on the ground and in the air. The planes that hit the civilian populations in Idleb will no longer be able to carry out their actions as quietly as before, "said the Turkish president.

Then Recep Tayyip Erdogan added: “ On earth, we will drive the forces of the regime beyond the borders that we have indicated. From today, if our soldiers deployed on our observation posts or elsewhere undergo the smallest attack, I announce that we will strike the forces of the regime everywhere, regardless of the borders of Idleb or the Sochi agreement ”.

The Turkish president does not seek to calm the game while his soldiers have no air cover in case of aggression or offensive in due form. If the Damascus regime is also inflexible, other confrontations could quickly arise.

► Also to listen: The Turkey-Russia pact shaken by the Syrian regime's offensive in Idlib

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• Turkey
• Recep Tayyip Erdogan
• Russia
• Vladimir Poutine

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