Thirty three Turkish soldiers were killed by Syrian government forces shelling and Russian aerial bombardment in Syria’s last rebel-held province of Idlib late on Thursday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held an urgent meeting with security officials following the reports of attacks on Turkish troops in Idlib.
The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) also called for an urgent central committee meeting on the issue.
Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad have made major advances in Idlib recently. Twenty-one Turkish soldiers were killed this month by Syrian shelling in the region and almost one million people have flocked to areas near the Turkish border, fleeing the Syrian government advance on the region.
Turkey started transferring tanks and troops to areas in Idlib seized by Syrian forces since the end of December.
The attacks on Turkish troops in Idlib followed recapture of the strategic town of Saraqeb from the Syrian army by Syrian rebels backed by the Turkish military.
“The city of Saraqeb has been liberated completely from [Syrian President Bashar] Assad’s gangs,” Naji Mustafa, a spokesman for a Turkey-backed coalition of rebel factions, the National Liberation Front, said in a statement reported by Reuters. Other rebel sources also confirmed the advance to Reuters.
It is the first significant reverse for the Russian-backed Syrian army in its campaign to retake the last rebel-held Idlib region in Syria. The armed opposition had lost the key northwestern town three weeks ago.
Saraqeb is situated at the junction of a major highway linking the region to the Mediterranean, and the M5 highway, Syria’s main north-south road, linking the capital of Damascus and its second largest city of Aleppo.
04:07 – U.S. says it stands by Turkey following airstrike on Turkish soldiers in Idlib
“We stand by our NATO Ally Turkey and continue to call for an immediate end to this despicable offensive by the Assad regime, Russia, and Iranian-backed forces,” a State Department representative said in a statement to Reuters.
03:30 – Turkey requests military consultation from NATO, citing security threats
Turkey requested a military consultation among NATO members, citing the alliance’s Article Four, which calls for military consultation when one member state’s security is threatened, Wall Street Journal said, citing a Western official.
“A meeting of the organization’s leadership is expected on Friday,” the official said.
03:20 – Protest at Russian embassy in Istanbul agaisnt Idlib attack
Around 100 Turks held a protest in front of the Russian embassy in Istanbul to demonstrate against Moscow’s support for the Syrian government after the deadly attack in Idlib.
02:50 – NATO head condemns Idlib attacks by pro-Damascus forces
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg condemned the attacks carried out by the Syrian government and its strongest ally, Russia, in Syria’s rebel-held Idlib province, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the Daily Sabah newspaper said.
02:30 – Main opposition calls parliament for a closed session
Republican People’s Party (CHP) spokesman Faiz Öztrak called for a closed session in parliament, after the party held an extraordinary meeting at their headquarters, Cumhuriyet newspaper said.
“With dozens of martyrs, the parliament should not remain silent,” Öztrak said in a statement, not taking any questions from reporters. “It is others who need to answer questions,” the spokesman said.
02:15 – Number of killed Turkish soldiers rises to 29, Hatay governor says
Hatay Governor Rahmi Doğan updated the Turkish soldier death toll to 29, with another 36 wounded in an air strike by Syrian government forces in Idlib, Syria.
02:10 – Turkey could close air space, Bosporus Straits to Russia, journalist says
Hakan Çelik, a high-profile pro-government journalist, said Turkey could close or limits its air space and Bosporus Straits to Russia in case Moscow intervenes in Turkey’s military operation against the Syrian army.ahvalnews