Erdogan warns of military force against Syria amid Idlib exodus – Al Jazeera English

Turkey may release a military operation in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province unless battling there is quickly stopped, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said. An exodus has shaken the region, thelast rebel fortress in Syria’s nearly nine-year war, as numerous thousands press towards Turkey to leave asudden and fast-moving advance by government forces. More: Syrian PresidentBashar al-Assad

‘s forces, backed by Russian air power, have made fast advances in Idlib.”We will not enable the program’s cruelty towards its

own individuals, with attacks and causing bloodshed,”Erdogan stated on Friday.”Turkey with complete sincerity desires Syria’s stability and security, and

to this end, we will not shy away from doing whatever is needed, consisting of using military force.” The current campaign has actually raised stress between Ankara and Moscow, which back opposing sides

in the dispute. Turkey has 12 military observation posts around Idlib, set up under a 2017 arrangement with Russia and Iran , and numerous of them have because been surrounded by advancing Syrian federal government forces.

Kremlin representative Dmitry Peskov stated Idlib was a haven for fighters targeting Syrian soldiers and a Russian airbase in Syria.

Erdogan accuses Russia of breaking contracts to lower the fighting in Idlib, a charge Moscow denied on Friday.

Increase of refugees

“We will do what is needed when someone is threatening our soil.

A United Nations report on Thursday approximated that 390,000 people have actually gotten away northwest Syria between December 1 and January 27, 80 percent of them being females and kids.

Erdogan on Friday repeated that Turkey could not manage a fresh influx of migrants and would not enable new hazards near its borders, even if it suggested resorting to military power as it carried out in three previous cross-border operations in northern Syria.

“We will not allow the routine to put our nation under the continuous danger of migrants by torturing, attacking, spilling the blood of … its people.”

Turkey, which has actually backed rebels combating to get rid of Assad, has actually consistently asked him to step down, even while Iran, Russia and Turkey have actually stated they look for a political option to the dispute.

“We will do what is needed when somebody is threatening our soil. We will have no option but to turn to the exact same course again if the circumstance in Idlib is not gone back to regular quickly,” he stated.

Turkey, which already hosts 3.6 million refugees from Syria, fears a fresh wave of migrants from Idlib.

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