Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced yesterday that the Turkish forces will not withdraw from Idlib, and called for the establishment of a safe zone inside Syrian territory with a depth ranging between 30 and 35 km, announcing a proposal by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel for a quad (Turkish) summit , Russian, German, French) about Syria in Istanbul on the fifth of next month.

In detail, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he will speak by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin and will, based on that conversation, decide Turkey's position on the military conflict in the Idlib region in northwestern Syria.

Erdogan told reporters that the French president and German chancellor had proposed holding a four-way summit with Russia, but Putin had not yet responded. He reiterated his position that Turkey would not withdraw its forces from Idlib.

He stated that Turkey continues to work to establish a shelter for the displaced Syrians in a "safe area" with a depth ranging between 30 and 35 kilometers in Syria on the border with Turkey.

"The battle continues with determination now, and in these talks, the contact will determine our position," Erdogan added.

He continued, "As long as the Syrian forces continue their battles in Idlib, there is no question that we will withdraw from there."

Under an agreement with Russia, Turkey, which supports armed groups, has 12 military observation posts in Idlib, many of which are in areas recovered by the Syrian army.

And Thursday, Turkey announced the killing of two of its soldiers in northwestern Syria with an air strike by the Syrian forces, which raises to 16 the number of Turkish soldiers who have fallen in this region since the beginning of this month.

Since the beginning of this month, Idlib has witnessed an unprecedented tension between Damascus and Ankara, reflected in clashes on the ground that resulted in deaths on both sides. On the progress of the past months, the Syrian army has surrounded at least three Turkish observation points out of 12 deployed in the region, according to a Russian-Turkish agreement.

According to Erdogan, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel proposed organizing a four-way summit (Turkish, Russian, German, French) in Istanbul on the fifth of next March.

In a telephone conversation with the French President and the German Chancellor, yesterday, Erdogan called on the European leaders to take "concrete steps."

In a statement, the Turkish presidency said that Erdogan stressed the need to stop the attacks "by the Syrian forces and their supporters in Idlib", stressing the importance of taking "concrete steps to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe."

On Thursday, the German government announced that Merkel and Macron expressed their "concern" about the "catastrophic humanitarian situation" in Idlib governorate during a phone call to Putin, whose country is the main supporter of Damascus.

She added in a statement that Merkel and Macron "expressed their desire to meet Presidents Putin and Erdogan to discuss reaching a political solution to the crisis," but that the statement did not address the possibility of holding a summit between the four parties, according to what reported by Agence France-Presse.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said yesterday that Russia is discussing the possibility of a summit on Syria with the leaders of Turkey, France and Germany.

"We are discussing the possibility of a summit," Peskov told reporters at a press conference. There are no confirmed decisions yet. (However) if the four leaders deem it necessary, we do not rule out the possibility of such a meeting. ”

The Kremlin: We will hold talks on Syria with Turkey, Germany and France.

Turkey: We are working to establish a shelter for the displaced Syrians in a "safe area".

- Merkel and Macron expressed their "concern" over the "catastrophic humanitarian situation" in Idlib governorate.