Turkish government summons Russia, Iran ambassadors

Turkish government sources said Ankara has summoned the ambassadors of Russia and Iran to complain about recent Syrian government advances
Russia, Iran and Turkey agreed last year to establish a "de-escalation zone".
Tuesday, 09 January 2018 21:19

Turkish government conveyed its concerns Tuesday over the advances in northern Syria, which it says are in "violation" of a de-escalation agreement in Idlib province reached by Ankara, Moscow and Tehran.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned Russian and Iranian ambassadors to lodge a protest over reports of "violation" of the borders of the de-escalation zone in Syria's Idlib province by the Syrian army. According to the sources, Turkish government asked the diplomats to urge the Syrian authorities to stop the "border violations".

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu earlier said that the Syrian government forces were attacking "moderate opposition militants in the Idlib province under the pretext of fighting terrorists".

Çavuşoğlu's comments came a day after Syrian forces captured 14 villages as they advanced on the largest terrorist-held enclave in the country's north amid a wave of airstrikes. The troops aim to reach a terrorist-held air base in Idlib province and secure the road linking the capital, Damascus, with the northern city of Aleppo, Syria's largest.

The main terrorist group in the northwestern province of Idlib is al-Qaida affiliate Tahrir al-Sham. In October, Turkish army forces have begun an operation in Syria's northwestern Idlib province "as part of de-escalation agreement" brokered by Russia at talks in Astana. But the Turkish army convoy was escorted by terrorists from al-Qaida-linked Tahrir al-Sham, previously known as the Nusra Front.

The Syrian government had demanded the immediate withdrawal of Turkish troops from the country.