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Putin & Erdogan to ‘intensify contacts’ over

Syria, but no sign of peace in Idlib yet
21 Feb, 2020 19:53 / Updated 10 days ago

FILE PHOTO. ©  AFP / SANA

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep

Tayyip Erdogan talked Syria over the phone, as their troops squared off
in Idlib province. The topics of Syrian sovereignty and terrorist threat
loomed large.

Putin expressed “serious concern about the ongoing aggressive actions

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respect for the sovereignty
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and territorial integrity” of Syria, the Kremlin
readout of Friday’s phone conversation said. Moscow and Ankara
agreed to “intensify bilateral interagency consultations on Idlib,” along
with intensive military contacts. 
It wasn’t clear how that would translate on the ground in Idlib, where
Turkey keeps sending troops and tanks. 

Pot is stirring: Turkey moves military equipment to Syrian border

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— RT (@RT_com) February 21, 2020

Ankara’s redout provided to the Turkish press says that Erdogan told
Putin that “Assad regime's actions and the consequent humanitarian
crisis must be stopped in Idlib.” 
Speaking to reporters in Istanbul ahead of the phone call with Putin, the
Turkish leader said there will not be a truce unless the Syrian forces
stop their “cruelty.”
"Unless the regime stops the persecution of the people of Idlib at this
point, it is not possible to withdraw from there,” Erdogan said, according
to Daily Sabah.

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 Erdogan says Turkey will not withdraw from
Syria’s Idlib until attacks by Damascus stop

Idlib is the last remaining stronghold of militant groups that once sought
to overthrow the Syrian government, with the backing of Turkey, Saudi
Arabia and the West. The dominant force in the province is Hayat Tahrir
as-Sham (HTS), an Al-Qaeda affiliate previously known as Al-Nusra.
Over the past month, the Syrian army has dealt a series of defeats to
the militants, liberating the last occupied suburbs of Aleppo and
unblocking a strategic highway to the coast. Turkey responded by
sending troops and weapons into the province and manning
“observation posts” established under a cease-fire agreed years ago.
Moscow has pointed out that the same deal required Ankara to separate
“moderate” rebels from terrorists, which never happened.

ALSO ON RT.COM

Shadow of war: What are the odds Turkey will

start a full-scale offensive against Syria in
Idlib?
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There have been multiple clashes between Syrian and Turkish troops as
a result of this intervention. On Thursday, a local militants launched an
attack on Syrian army positions, supported by Turkish artillery, until the
Russian bombers intervened. The Turks only ceased fire after Moscow
contacted Ankara via the military hotline.
While Turkey insists it will not back down from Idlib, its officials also
seek to allay fears that this could escalate into an open war with
Russia. 
“We do not aim for a face-off with Russia. This is out of [the] question,”
Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said in an interview with CNN Turk
Thursday night. “We have done everything in our power to prevent this
from happening, and we will continue to do so.”
With Damascus insisting on liberating Idlib from the grip of terrorist
groups that even the US admits are a menace, it is unclear how that
particular circle can be squared, however.

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