Turkey won’t give Syrian troops more ground in Idlib: Erdogan

ANKARA: Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan said his country will not encourage Syrian forces to gain extra territories in a northern Syrian province on Tuesday, one day after tensions between the Turkish and Syrian forces killed soldiers on both sides. Turkish media reported.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks came as Syrian forces entered the western gate of Saraqeb’s rebel stronghold in northern Idlib province, while the UN announced that more than half a million people have been displaced their homes from the offensive since Dec 1st, 2019.

READ MORE: Turkish President Erdogan to visit Pakistan on Feb 13

Speaking to media President Erdogan said, “At the moment, Syria is attempting to gain ground by pushing innocent and poor people to our border, “we’re not going to give Syria a chance to gain more territory,” he added.

On the other hand, eight Turkish citizens died on Monday in Idlib, in an exchange of shelling with Syrian government forces.

The attack on Turkish troops came in the midst of a Syrian government offensive that has been moving since December into the country’s last rebel stronghold, which covers Idlib province and parts of the nearby Aleppo region.

READ ALSO: Court issues arrest warrant for former South African president Zuma

While Turkish troops are deployed to supervise an earlier cease-fire that has since collapsed in some of those rebel-held areas.