Turkey has sent major reinforcements to Syria's northwestern Idlib region a...
ANKARA - Turkey has sent major reinforcements to Syria’s northwestern Idlib region and “all options are on the table”, a senior official said on Sunday, as Ankara tries to stem rapid advances by Syrian government forces.
Turkey, which already hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees, says it cannot absorb any more and has demanded Damascus pull back in Idlib by the end of the month or face Turkish action. Three hundred vehicles entered Idlib on Saturday, bringing the total to around 1,000 this month, he said. He declined to say exactly how many new troops had been deployed, but described it as a “notable amount”.
The fighting in Idlib has shaken the fragile cooperation between Turkey, which backs rebels who once hoped to topple Assad, and Russia, whose support helped the once-beleaguered president bring most of the country back under his control. Despite Turkey’s disagreement with Russia over Idlib, the official described talks between them in Ankara on Saturday as positive. The two sides will meet again in the coming week.Syria’s armed forces said on Sunday they have recaptured more than 600 square kilometers of territory, taking control of dozens of towns and villages in recent days, and said they would maintain the fight.
Defence Minister Hulusi Akar reiterated on Sunday that they must pull back soon. “If the regime forces are not withdrawn by the end of February, we will take action,” he told Hurriyet newspaper in an interview.
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