President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday Turkey will continue to retaliate after Syrian government shelling killed four of its troops and wounded nine in Syria’s northwest Idlib region, where Turkish forces have bulked up in recent days.
President Tayyip Erdogan said Monday Turkey will continue to retaliate after Syrian government shelling killed four of its troops and wounded nine in Syria’s northwest Idlib region, where Turkish forces have bulked up in recent days.
Erdogan said initial indications show 30-35 Syrians were “neutralized” in Turkey’s response to what the government called intense shelling of its soldiers. He said Turkey has told Russian counterparts “they need to stand aside” in the escalating conflict.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, backed by Russian air power, have recently made advances in Idlib, prompting Turkey to warn it may launch a military operation there unless the fighting is halted.
“We have responded in kind to these attacks and will continue to do so, whether it is with our artillery or mortars,” Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul.
“We are determined to continue our operations for th