Turkey won't be silent as Syrian government surrounds Turkish posts: Erdogan

Ankara, February 15

Turkey will not remain silent while Syrian government forces surround Turkish military posts in Syria’s Idlib region, President Tayyip Erdogan said in comments reported by NTV, as Ankara and Moscow trade barbs over the escalating conflict.

Turkey has dismissed Russian accusations that its actions in Idlib have flouted de-escalation agreements with Russia and Iran, and said it would take military action if diplomatic efforts with Moscow fail.

Erdogan told reporters on a flight from Pakistan that his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the issue had been positive, NTV reported. He also said US statements of support for Turkey on Idlib “did not instil trust”. Reuters