Turkish Defense Minister comments on the escalation of Russian attacks in northwest Syria
Yesterday, Monday, Turkish Defense Minister ,Hulusi AKAR, stressed that his country is closely following the latest developments in de-escalation zone in northwest Syria.
Akar said: “His country is committed to Idlib agreement unlike Russia which has been escalating its attacks on the region for months, noting that this escalation does not comply with Memorandum of agreement signed by the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan with his Russian counterpart on March 5, 2020.”
He added: “this memorandum must continue to achieve security for our Syrian brothers in northwest Syria”, confirming that his country can’t bear a new migration wave from that region.
Akar stressed that the Turkish army continues to fight terrorist organizations in Syria and Iraq, noting that his country respects the security of the borders of the two countries neighboring Turkey and their sovereign rights.
Akar’s speech came during a meeting held via video conference technology, with his deputy, Yunus Emre Kara Osmanoglu, Chief of Staff Yasar Guler, and commanders of the ground forces, Musa Oswar, the navy, Adnan Ozbal, and the air force, Hasan Kocuk Ak Yuz.
Idlib governorate and the “Euphrates Shield” and “Olive Branch” areas are witnessing an escalation by Russia. On the twenty-sixth of this month, Russian warplanes targeted a camp of one of the National Army factions in the “Brad” area of Afrin, in the first attack of its kind on the area since the control of The national and Turkish armies attacked the city and its suburbs as part of Operation Olive Branch.
It is noteworthy that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart will meet tomorrow, Wednesday, in the Russian city of Sochi, to discuss developments in the Syrian file, especially developments related to the Idlib file, according to the two presidencies.
