Erdogan tells Putin that Syrian army attacks are causing humanitarian crisis and threaten Turkish security
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Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Friday that Syrian army attacks in northwest Syria are causing a humanitarian crisis and threaten Turkey’s national security, the Turkish presidency said.
Syrian troops have encircled rebels and a Turkish military post in northwest Syria in an offensive to reclaim territory and towns they lost early in the war.
According to a statement by Turkish presidency’s communication office on Friday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin discussed the latest developments in war-weary Syria and Libya.
During the phone conversation, Erdogan said the regime’s attacks in Idlib — an area where a cease-fire is supposed to be in effect — damage efforts to find a solution to Syria crisis and pose a serious threat to Turkey’s national security.
Turkey and Russia agreed last September to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone where acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.
“The president stated that the regime’s ceasefire violations and attacks in Idlib are causing a big humanitarian crisis, that these attacks are damaging the solution process in Syria and pose a serious threat to our country’s national security,” it said.
The Turkish Presidency later said Erdogan planned to make a one-day visit to Russia on Aug. 27.
