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Turkey’s U.N. envoy says Syria, Russia deliberately targeted Turkish troops together - live blog

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  • Ahval
  • Feb 28 2020 11:02 Gmt+3
  • Last Updated On: Mar 01 2020 09:26 Gmt+3

Turkey's communications director said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed in a phone call on Friday to meet soon to discuss violence in Syria's northwest province of Idlib, a day after 34 Turkish soldiers were killed in a Russian-backed Syrian government offensive.

With Turkish forces under heavy fire in Idlib, where they are deployed to stave off the Syrian government’s advance on the last rebel-held province, the close cooperation that brought Russia and Turkey together in the conflict has been reversed, bringing the two sides on the brink of war.

Russia’s Interfax news agency said the pair had discussed a possible top-level meeting in the near future, but did not say they had agreed to meet. It said they reaffirmed their shared commitment to fighting international terrorism.

High among Turkey’s concerns in the province is the presence of an estimated 3 million civilians, many of whom are expected to attempt to cross the border if the Syrian government continues its advance. News reports on Thursday night said Turkey had opened its border with Syria and would also allow Syrians to cross its territory towards Europe, a move interpreted by many as a rebuke to the European Union for its lack of support in Idlib.

 

 01:20 Unidentified attackers raided Sputnik journalists' homes - Sputnik Turkish 

Three Sputnik news agency journalists have been attacked in their homes by an unidentified group of 15-20 people in Ankara, reported Sputnik News. 

The attackers shouted slogans such as “Martyrs never die, undivided homeland,” and asked the journalists if they wrote propaganda against the 36 Turkish troops who died in Idlib during the Russian airstrike on Thursday. 

No one was injured in the attack due to the journalists’ calm demeanor.

Sputnik and Russia Today (RT) Editor in Chief Margarita Simonyan  tweeted, “Unknown people have raided the houses(!) of three of our employees in Ankara, calling them traitors because they worked for Russians. Let’s see what the police will do.”

 

01:05 - Turkey’s military has commenced offensive inside Syria - Rudaw

Turkey has commenced attacks on key positions within Syria, reported Rudaw English. 
Turkish F-16 planes have entered Syrian airspace, according to Syrian and terrorism researcher Kyle Orton. 
These reports are not confirmed by the Turkish government.

00:50 - Erdoğan asks Putin to keep Russia out of the way

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan urges Russia to step out of the way and allow Turkey to deal with the Syrian government on its own, reported Hurriyet Daily. 

Erdoğan asks his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a recent phone call to remove his forces from Idlib. 

Erdoğan said: "I asked Mr. Putin: 'what's your business there? If you establish a base, do so, but get out of our way and leave us face to face with the regime.'"

 

22:30 - Erdoğan speaks to Rouhani and Charles Michel

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a telephone conference with Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, discussing the issues in Idlib, reported Turkish news agency Diken News. 

He also spoke to president of the European Council Charles Michel, pointing out the humanitarian crisis and stressing the need for a collective voice against the regime.

21:00 - Erdoğan, Putin to meet over Idlib first week of March 

The Idlib issue can be settled only in a meeting between Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Vladimir Putin, which he said would take place on March 5 or March 6, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told reporters in Doha.

"We are working towards this and the meeting will take place in the first week of March,’’ CNN Türk quoted Çavuşoğlu as saying.

Talks between the two sides this year have failed to produce results.

18:30 - Foreign minister calls on U.S. to send Turkey Patriot missiles 

Ankara wants the United States to send Patriot missiles to Turkey for back-up in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoglu said on Saturday.

Cavuşoğlu’s comment arrived following a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeos on Saturday in the Qatari capital Doha, Reuters said.

afp
AFP

Russian-backed Syrian government forces attacks have killed 55 Turkish soldiers this month in the country’s last rebel-held province of Idlib. 

Ankara has threatened to push back Syrian forces if they do not pull back to lines set by a 2018 agreement.

16:00 - Turkey’s U.N. envoy says Syria, Russia deliberately targeted Turkish troops together 

Permanent Representative of Turkey to the United Nations Feridun Sinirlioğlu said Syrian and Russian forces were found to be flying in formation during the Feb. 27 airstrike that killed at least 36 Turkish soldiers, based on radar tracks.

There was no military traffic around the Turkish convoy, as such, “the logical conclusion is that they were deliberately targeted,” Sinirlioğlu said at the U.N. Security Council meeting.

The attack continued despite Turkey issuing a warning after the first round of fire, Sinirlioğlu said.

A Russian foreign ministry statement earlier said Turkey had not informed Russia of its forces’ location, and the airstrike that killed Turkish soldiers was targeting terrorist groups in the area.

Turkey will retaliate “any provocation and harassment,” and won’t hesitate to use force, the U.N. envoy said, regardless of the country’s “utmost restraint to avoid a direct military confrontation.”

15:40 - Funerals underway for Turkish soldiers killed in Idlib

Turkish government officials and senior members of the armed forces have throughout Saturday been attending funerals for soldiers killed in Idlib.

Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu attended the funeral of Corporal Emin Yıldırım in the border province of Hatay, accompanied by Gendarmerie Forces Commander General  Arif Çetin, while Defence Minister Hulusi Akar attended the funeral of Infantry Sergeant Halil İbrahim Akkaya in the Osmaniye province, together with Land Forces Commander General Ümit Dündar and Air Force Commander General Hasan Küçükakyüz. 

12:15 - Erdoğan says Turkey entered Syria ‘on invitation of Syrian people’ 

Turkey entered Syria “as invited by the people of Syria,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said during a meeting with parliamentarians, “not as guests of (Syrian President Bashar al) Assad.”

Turkey “has no intention of leaving” until the Syrian people “say the job is done,” Erdoğan added.

“For Turkey, the Syria issue is absolutely not an adventure or an effort to expand borders,” Erdoğan said. “We do not care for oil or land, we want to secure our borders with a safe zone.”

The president also updated the number of soldiers killed in Idlib as 36, and said Turkish forces killed more than 2,000 Syrian soldiers. 

Some 18,000 migrants have pushed through the borders as of Saturday morning, Erdoğan said, adding that the number could rise to "25-30 thousand today."

12:00 - Turkish civil society figures launch petition for troops’ return

More than 140 Turkish artists, academics, journalists and politicians have signed a petition titled “Hands off Syria, bring the troops home” against Turkey’s involvement in Syria, in the aftermath of the deadly Idlib airstrikes.

“We the undersigned see that our country is being dragged into a dead-end, that our sons lose their lives as they are made to fight on the soil of another country, that we are belittled in the eyes of the public and the peoples of the world, that our country has been positioned as a tool for imperialism and a patron for fundamentalist terrorism, and we believe that action must be taken to stop all these negative developments. The facts are out, the situation is clear. Our military presence on Syrian soil must end at once, and our soldiers must be brought home safe and sound.”

11:30 - Four parties in Turkish parliament issue joint statement against Idlib airstrike 

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), its coalition partner Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and opposition parties Republican People’s Party (CHP) and  the Good Party have issued a joint statement against the deadly Idlib airstrike.

“We have complete faith that the valiant Turkish army will fulfil the duties given by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey with great success,” the statement said. 

“As the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, we announce to our beloved nation and the world public that we will fulfil in a common understanding towards high ideals the responsibility of democratic representation that we have been trusted with, reserving differences regarding party policies.”

The fifth party in the parliament, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) issued a separate statement saying that the party did not believe it was right “to condemn the Idlib calamity together with the governing alliance, which produced the wrongful policies in Syria, like nothing happened.”  

HDP expressed condolences for the soldiers’ families and called for an extraordinary parliamentary session to “discuss the Idlib calamity openly and in front of society.”

10:30 - Turkish soldiers targeted ‘in pinpoint strike,’ says main opposition

The deadly Idlib airstrike of Feb. 27 targeted Turkish soldiers in two phases, an initial bombing and a second strike on where they sought shelter, lawmakers from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) told reporters on Friday night.

“They were left defenceless under the bombing,” CHP’s Suzan Şahin said, after the group visited wounded soldiers in the border province of Hatay. “The strike was a pinpoint targeting.”

01:12 - Turkey has our full support to respond in self-defense - US Amb

United States ambassador to the United Nation, Kelly Craft, published a statement on the United States Mission to the United Nations website, saying that Turkey has the U.S.'s full support to respond in self-defense and condemning the attack. The ambassador also calls upon Russia to "immediately ground their warplanes."

"These attacks were wholly unjustified, senseless, and barbaric," said Craft. 

Craft, representing the U.S. and the Trump administration calls for a permanent ceasefire, referring to the insufferable conditions of the Syrian people. She ends the statement with "Enough. Simply enough."

00:45 - Turkish forces to target ‘all regime elements’ if attacked in Idlib, Erdoğan tells Putin

Turkey will consider any and all Syrian regime elements legitimate targets and place them under fire, if there is a direct attack against the country, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during their phone call on Friday.

“Furthermore, (Erdoğan) has expressed that they expect the (Syrian) regime to be compelled to comply with the Sochi Accord,” Turkey’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun told reporters.

Turkey expects its NATO allies to “support Turkey but more importantly coalesce around a policy to deter the Assad regime,” and to “act not simply to support us but ensure peace and stability in the region,” Altun said in a later series of tweets.

00:25 - U.N. chief calls for de-escalation by all involved in Syria conflict

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire in Syria “before the situation gets entirely out of control.”

“In all my contacts with those involved, I have had one simple message: step back from the edge of escalation,” Guterres said at the U.N. Security Council.  

“A decade of fighting has brought nothing but ruin and misery,” Guterres continued, repeating a call for a U.N.-facilitated political process and for civilian protection.

00:05 - U.S. looking to urgently help Turkey in Idlib – State Dept

The United States is working on ways to support Turkey against Syrian government forces in Idlib, a senior State Department official told reporters.

“This will not involve military moves by American units,” the official said.

“As a NATO ally and a major foreign military sales partner, we have various information sharing and equipment relationships with the Turks. We’re looking at what we can do on an urgent basis right now to help them.” 

23:45 - One Turkish soldier killed, two wounded in Syrian shelling

Turkey’s Ministry of Defence has announced Friday night that one Turkish soldier was killed and two others were wounded by the Syrian regime’s artillery fire in Idlib, adding to the 34 soldiers killed last night.

“According to various sources in the region, out of the regime targets that have been placed under fire, eight tanks, four armoured combat vehicles, five Howitzer batteries and two multi-barrelled rocket launchers have been destroyed and 56 regime elements have been neutralised,” the ministry said.

23:00 - Hungary’s Orbán calls cabinet meeting after phone call with Erdoğan

Following a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the developments in Idlib and the new influx of migrants, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán convened a meeting of the security cabinet. 

The two leaders discussed preparations for a summit between Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Turkey in March, Orbán’s press office announced.

Erdoğan told Orbán that Turkey can no longer hold back the flow of migrants due to the enormous pressure on the country, Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Relations Zoltán Kovács said.  

22:35 - Erdoğan to meet with Bulgarian PM on Monday

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov agreed to hold a face-to-face meeting on Monday regarding developments in Idlib and the movement of migrants towards Turkey’s western borders with EU member states.

While there is no immediate threat to Bulgaria, Turkey and other countries hosting refugees and migrants should not be left alone, Borissov told reporters following a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday evening.

The Bulgarian leader expressed his country’s support for Turkey to deal with the crisis in Idlib and stop a new wave of migration, and called for a peaceful political solution for the Syrian conflict.

22:00 - Germany’s Merkel condemns ‘ruthless attacks against Turkish units’ in Idlib

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday evening expressed condolences for the “ruthless attacks against Turkish units,” during a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Chancellor Merkel called for an end to the offensive by the Syrian regime and its supporters, a statement by Steffen Seibert, spokesman for the federal German government, said.

Merkel and Erdoğan also focused on the humanitarian situation in Idlib, and the leaders agreed to the urgency of a new ceasefire and the launch of political talks as soon as possible, the statement said.

21:30 - Threats against diplomats in Turkey on the rise, says Russian Consulate General

Russia's diplomatic representatives have started receiving an increased number of threats over Turkish social media networks following the death of 34 Turkish soldiers, the Russian Consulate General in Istanbul announced.

The consulate general said Russian diplomatic representatives have been working with Turkish security forces to implement additional measures for safety after receiving messages condemning Russia’s actions and threats against the country’s representatives.

“A demonstration was held at the main entrance of the consulate on the night of February 28, with some 300 people attending. The protesters chanted anti-Russian slogans accusing Russia and the country’s administration for the death of Turkish soldiers as a result of air strikes in the north of Syria."

21:00 - Trump supports Turkey's efforts to de-escalate in Syria

U.S. President Donald Trump has “reaffirmed his support for Turkey’s efforts to de-escalate the situation in northwest Syria and avoid a humanitarian catastrophe,” the White House announced via press pool.

“President Trump expressed his condolences and and condemned yesterday’s attack that killed Turkish personnel in Syria,” the White House readout said. “The two leaders agreed that the Syrian regime, Russia, and the Iranian regime must halt their offensive before more innocent civilians are killed and displaced.”

20:40 - United Nations Security Council to hold emergency meeting on Syria

Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve, Belgium’s ambassador to the United Nations, announced that the U.N. Security Council will be holding an emergency meeting on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. EST (2100 GMT) regarding the situation in Idlib.  

The meeting was requested by Belgium, Germany, Estonia, France, the Dominican Republic, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is scheduled to deliver remarks on Syria at 12:45 p.m (1745 GMT) at the Security Council stakeout.

19:45 - Turkish parliament not to convene on Saturday, says Parliamentary Speaker

Convening the Turkish parliament for a general assembly on Saturday won’t be fruitful as Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar won’t be available to brief lawmakers, Parliamentary Speaker Mustafa Şentop told reporters.

“Right now, our defence minister is currently in the region coordinating activities. As such, it doesn’t seem possible to have a representative of the executive branch in a meeting to be held tomorrow,” Şentop said.

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay has called for Minister Akar to inform the general assembly on Tuesday, Şentop said. 

“I am of the opinion that on Tuesday, meetings will be held that would be more satisfactory for our parliament in terms of the quality and quantity of information. There could be further meetings in light of Tuesday’s meetings.”

19:10 - Erdoğan to tell Trump he expects support ‘by action not words’

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expects to speak with U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday, Turkey’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said. Erdoğan is planning to tell U.S. President Donald Trump that he expects support from the United States in the form of actions when the two leaders speak, according to Altun.

"President Erdoğan will be telling Trump that verbal support is not enough, and that Turkey expects support in the form of action," Altun said.

Erdoğan will also speak with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson today, Altun announced.

"I do not believe that allowing refugees to cross into Europe will harm relations with the West," he said.

18:40 - Idlib attack carried out by Russian jets ‘in coordinated action’ – military analyst

Yesterday’s deadly attack in Idlib was carried out by two Russian and two Syrian jets hitting the Turkish military unit “in coordinated action,” military analyst Metin Gürcan wrote, citing local sources.

Following a “relatively lighter strike,” jets continued to strike, “forcing the soldiers to take shelter in several roadside buildings,” Gürcan said.

“What followed next was likely the dropping of KAB-1500L bombs — a variation of advanced laser-guided bunker buster bombs capable of penetrating to depths of up to 20 meters (65 feet) — by the Russian jets. Two of the buildings collapsed in the attack, leaving the Turkish soldiers under the rubble.”
 

18:20 - Greek PM announces increased security at Turkish border

Greece has increased border security at the land border with Turkey against “significant numbers of migrants and refugees … gathered in large groups,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, as migrants started arriving at the no-man’s-land between the two countries. 

“I want to be clear: no illegal entries into Greece will be tolerated,” said Mitsotakis. “Greece does not bear any responsibility for the tragic events in Syria and will not suffer the consequences of decisions taken by others.”

Migrants have been rushing to bus stations to get to border crossings after Turkey’s announcement that it would no longer intervene to stop asylum seekers from reaching Europe.

15:45 - Turkish lira pares losses after Putin-Erdoğan phone call

The Turkish lira pared losses in Friday afternoon trading after Putin and Erdoğan held a phone call in an attempt to diffuse tensions in Syria and prevent direct military conflict.

The lira was down less than 0.1 percent at 6.21 per dollar as of 3:42 p.m. local time in Istanbul. It had slid beyond 6.25 per dollar earlier in the day, nearing the lowest level since the weeks following a currency crisis in August 2018.

14:45 - Putin, Erdoğan agree to meet ‘soon’

The Turkish and Russian presidents agreed during a phone conversation on Friday to hold a face-to-face meeting in the near future, Erdoğan’s communications director Fahrettin Altun said.

Erdoğan and Putin also reaffirmed their commitment to fighting international terrorism and agreed on the need to de-escalate the situation in Idlib during the phone call, according to Russian media reports.

14:40 - NATO expresses solidarity with Turkey

NATO issued a statement expressing its solidarity with Turkey and calling for an immediate ceasefire in Syria after Friday’s emergency consultation on the attack on Turkish troops the previous night.

“Turkey is the NATO Ally most affected by the terrible conflict in Syria, which has suffered the most terrorist attacks, and which hosts millions of refugees,” the statement read.

“This dangerous situation must be deescalated to avoid further worsening of the horrendous humanitarian situation in the region, and to allow urgent humanitarian access for those trapped in Idlib.  We urge an immediate return to the 2018 ceasefire,” it said.

Turkey’s allies will continue to support it with a range of measures including augmenting its air defences, it said.

14:00 - Russian frigates pass Istanbul on way to Mediterranean

Russia is sending two frigates equipped with cruise missiles to the eastern Mediterranean in response to the escalating conflict in Idlib, the Moscow Times reported citing Russian news agency Interfax.

Russia’s Black Sea Fleet dispatched the Admiral Makarov and Admiral Grigorovich frigates to the Mediterranean, its spokesman Alexei Rulev said. The ships were spotted crossing the Bosporus strait on Friday morning. 

13:30 - Migrants heading to Europe after Turkey grants free passage

Hundreds of migrants have begun making their way on foot to Turkish areas bordering the European Union after Turkish authorities said they would no longer intervene to stop asylum seekers reaching Europe, local media reports said.

migrants pazarkule
 (AP Photo/Ergin Yildiz)

12:00 - Turkish defence minister: Turkey struck 200 Syrian government targets, killing 309

Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said that Turkey’s air force, armed drones and artillery had pounded more than 200 Syrian government targets, killing 309 soldiers and destroying five helicopters, 23 tanks, 23 artillery units and two missile defence systems.

Hulusi Akar
(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

11:35 - Turkish opposition parties calls for parliamentary session to discuss Idlib

Meral Akşener, the leader of the nationalist opposition Good Party, cancelled a visit to the western province of Bursa after Thursday’s strikes on Turkish soldiers and has voiced her support for the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s call to hold a parliamentary session on Idlib.

11:30 - U.N. chief repeats call for Syria ceasefire

U.N. General Secretary Antonio Guterres reiterated his call for a ceasefire in Syria on Thursday, expressing “grave concern” at the escalation of fighting in Idlib that led to dozens of Turkish casualties.

09:35 - Turkey calls emergency consultation with NATO

Turkey has called an emergency consultation with its NATO allies, NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg announced on Twitter. The meeting will be held on Friday and attended by ambassadors from the alliance's 29 member states.

04:07 - U.S. says it stands by Turkey following airstrike on Turkish soldiers in Idlib

“We stand by our NATO Ally Turkey and continue to call for an immediate end to this despicable offensive by the Assad regime, Russia, and Iranian-backed forces,” a State Department representative said in a statement to Reuters. 

03:30 - Turkey requests military consultation from NATO, citing security threats

Turkey requested a military consultation among NATO members, citing the alliance's Article Four, which calls for military consultation when one member state’s security is threatened, Wall Street Journal said, citing a Western official.

"A meeting of the organization’s leadership is expected on Friday," the official said.

03:20 - Protest at Russian embassy in Istanbul agaisnt Idlib attack

Around 100 Turks held a protest in front of the Russian embassy in Istanbul to demonstrate against Moscow's support for the Syrian government after the deadly attack in Idlib.

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