Turkey: We will continue our offensive in Idlib if the ceasefire is violated.
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Roshan Amiri
- . March 13, 2020
- . Update: March 13, 2020 12:51 pm
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar announced that an agreement had been reached with the Russian delegation on the details of the Idlib ceasefires’ agreement. “Turkish and Russian officials have largely reached agreement on the details of a ceasefire in the Syrian Idlib region during talks in Ankara,” Anadolu news agency quoted Akar as saying.
The two countries agreed last week to a cease-fire aimed at preventing an escalation of violence in Idlib, and a Russian delegation arrived to Ankara this week to discuss details including a security corridor and joint patrols on the strategic M4 road.
Akar pointed out that talks with the Russians are still continuing, adding that all Turkish forces in Idlib are still in their positions.
The minister stated that Turkey would continue its military offensive in Idlib if the ceasefire was violated, stressing the warning announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday, as he said that Turkey would not hesitate to take military action greater than its predecessor in the Idlib area, if the ceasefire was not respected.
The Turkish President stated that the cease-fire in Idlib witnessed minor violations by the Syrian army and the forces supporting it, adding that the priority for his country is the safety of 12 observation posts set up in the region.
Erdogan indicated that Ankara will not be satisfied with responding likewise to the smallest attack that these Turkish observation points may be subjected to, “rather, it will respond with more force, and we will strike them harshly if they violate their promises.”
