[Published: Wednesday February 26 2020]
Turkey threatens Syria
ANKARA 26 Feb (ANA) - Turkey plans to push Syrian government forces away from its military observation posts in northwest Syria's Idlib region by the end of February, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, despite advances by the Russian-backed military.
"We are planning to liberate our observation posts from the surrounding [Syrian government forces] by the end of this month, one way or another," Erdogan told his party's parliamentarians in a speech on Wednesday.
Russia controls the region's airspace and has been bombing Turkey-backed rebels on a daily basis in support of a months-long offensive by Syrian government forces.
Syrian fighters, backed by the Turkish military, seized the town of Nairab in Idlib this week, according to rebel and Turkish sources, but Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's troops continue to make advances elsewhere in the province.
"The time we have given to those who besieged our observation towers is running out," Erdogan said. "We are planning to save those of our observation posts from the besiegers one way or another by the end of this month."(ANA)
FA/ANA/26 February 2020----
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