Ankara urges Moscow to keep the actions of the Syrian government forces in Idlib under control and prevent potential future attacks in the region, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday
ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th July, 2019) Ankara urges Moscow to keep the actions of the Syrian government forces in Idlib under control and prevent potential future attacks in the region, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday.
On June 27, a Turkish soldier was killed and three more were injured in an attack on the Turkish observation post in Idlib. According to Ankara, the shelling was deliberate and was conducted from areas controlled by the Syrian government.
"Idlib is an important issue both from political and humanitarian points of view. Attacks on Idlib must end. Russia needs to keep the [Damascus] regime's forces under control," Cavusoglu said, as broadcast by the TRT channel.
According to Cavusoglu, Turkey understands that Russia is concerned about its own security in the Arab republic.
"All these issues are being discussed. If we fail to discuss all the matters, we will reduce the chances to preserve Syria's territorial integrity," the minister said.
During talks in the Russian resort city of Sochi last September, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to set up a demilitarized zone in Idlib along the contact line between the armed opposition and government forces.
Scores of various armed groups, including Jabhat al-Nusra terror group (banned in Russia), are currently operating in Idlib. There are reportedly 30,000 militants, including foreign mercenaries, in the region.
