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The Syrian regime and Russia on Friday shelled parts of the Idlib region in northwest Syria, the country's last major opposition stronghold.
According to preliminary reports, two Assad regime warplanes and three Russian jets conducted airstrikes in Idlib’s Kafr, Zeyte, Hobait and Abdin regions.
At least 10 civilians were killed and 20 wounded in the west and south-west of Idlib during the last three days by Russian warplanes.
Russian, Turkish and Iranian leaders met on Friday in Iran’s Tehran and to discuss the situation in northwestern Syria.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for a joint stance over Syria’s territorial integrity and unity, and said that he believes the results of trilateral summit in Tehran will contribute to peace in Syria.
An attack on Syria's Idlib, the last opposition-held stronghold, would be a massacre and the upcoming summit in Tehran, which will be attended by the leaders of Iran, Russia and Turkey, will yield positive results, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told reporters on the plane back from an official visit to Kyrgyzstan.“Turkey is working with Russia and Iran. Turkey has 12 observation posts in Idlib, and our security forces are resolutely carrying out their duties. There are 3.5 million people [in Idlib]. God forbid, if this area is hailed by missiles there would be a grave massacre. In that case, where would those fleeing go to? The majority would come to Turkey. This could give rise to a new issue,” Erdoğan said.“Apart from Idlib, be it regarding Tell Rifaat or Manbij, our efforts are ongoing. The Tehran summit will be held on Sept. 7. We will carry this issue to a positive point with the Tehran summit, which is a continuation of Astana. I hope we will be able to prevent the Syrian government's extremism in this region,” he added.Russia and Turkey, along with Iran are sponsoring the Astana peace talks, which focuses on a cease-fire and ending the seven-year civil war in Syria.UN aid chief fears worst humanitarian crisis in IdlibManbij roadmap not proceeding as plannedErdoğan stated that the road map for the northern Syrian city of Manbij agreed between Ankara and Washington in June is not proceeding as planned.“I can say that we are not at the point discussed by our foreign minister and [his U.S. counterpart] Mike Pompeo regarding Manbij. It is being neglected. We are not at an ideal point. Unfortunately the agreement made is not going forward in the same direction as the initial discussions. I hope that we will enter a new phase with the meetings our Foreign Minister [Mevlüt] Çavuşoğlu and our Defense Minister Hulusi Akar will hold with their counterparts,” Erdoğan said.Under the road map for Manbij agreed by the two NATO allies, Turkish and U.S. forces are now carrying out joint patrols to clear the area of the YPG.In a meeting on Tuesday, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and the U.S. special representative for Syria, James Jeffrey, discussed the developments in Syria.Russia says in contact with Turkey regarding northern Syria“Right now, the situation in Idlib is of critical importance for us. A ruthless process has been going on there. God forbid, if disaster strikes, the first place they will be able to flee to is Turkey. Now such a risk is on the agenda at a time Syrians [in Turkey] have started to return,” Erdoğan said.Idlib, located in northwestern Syria on the Turkish border, has faced intense attacks by the Bashar al-Assad regime after a vicious civil war broke out in 2011. Since March 2015, Idlib is no longer under the control of the Assad regime and has been overrun by opposition groups.The Assad regime is currently preparing for an offensive to recapture the region.UN envoy urges Erdoğan, Putin to discuss IdlibTurkey-U.S. tiesThe Turkish president also said that U.S. President Donald Trump had not requested a meeting on the sidelines of this month’s UN general assembly, and that he would not submit a request either.Regarding the case of U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson, which has caused relations between Ankara and Washington to sour, Erdoğan said that Turkey cannot fulfill "unlawful requests.” Erdoğan added that Turkey followed the rule of law and the U.S. would not be able to make progress in the case by using threats.“As another example, we can look at the situation of Halkbank executive Hakan Atilla. He entered the U.S. six times, and they arrested him as he was leaving from his seventh visit. Halkbank doesn’t even have a branch in the U.S. What is the crime of Halkbank or its executive? There is no clear evidence. The law is not important for them [the U.S.]. They say that they are mighty, and therefore right,” Erdoğan said.Turkey expects no fine for Halkbank: FinMinA U.S. law firm hired by Turkey to look into state-owned Halkbank's dealings with Iran found that it did not violate U.S. sanctions. Law firm King and Spalding and data firm Exiger carried out the investigation after a Halkbank executive was charged in New York last year with taking part in a scheme to help Iran evade U.S. sanctions. The executive was found guilty and sentenced in May to 32 months in jail, a decision which Turkey said was politically motivated.Erdoğan hails new U.S. special representative for SyriaErdoğan lauded the new U.S. special representative for Syria, James Jeffrey, who met with Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on Tuesday in Ankara.“I believe Mr. [James] Jeffrey’s appointment is on point. During my visit to the U.S., I had met with him. I believe his appointment is so sagacious it cannot be compared to the previous envoy, who has not been taken off duty and is still active in the region. I hope his appointment will benefit this new process, and that it will enable some steps to be taken quicker,” Erdoğan said.Turkey tells US that YPG/PKK must leave SyriaTurkey-EU relations“Unfortunately, the EU has not responded to the positive steps Turkey has taken. We still have not received reciprocation. Many decisions were always postponed. From free movement to aid promised for refugees, we want to surpass these matters so that we can see ahead,” Erdoğan said.In 2016, Turkey and the EU signed a deal aiming to stem the irregular migration flow through the Aegean Sea by taking stricter measures against human traffickers and improving conditions for nearly 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey.Turkey has long complained of the EU being slow to deliver the promised funds for refugees and failing to uphold its end of the deal concerning visa-free travel.Erdoğan’s upcoming visit to Germany“The EU, apart from a few exceptions, is not at the point we desire. I will make an official visit to Germany following the invitation of the president [Frank Walter Steinmeier]. The visit will also give me the opportunity to meet with [chancellor] Angela Merkel. There are many matters that must be evaluated regarding Turkey-Germany relations. There are over three million Turks in Germany. I place great importance upon this visit, which will give us the opportunity to discuss many issues face to face. Germany has a very critical position in the EU, and is virtually a leader,” he added.Macron should conduct return visit to Turkey“France seems more positive, but [French President Emmanuel] Macron did not conduct a return visit, and he should. We hold meetings and phone calls in order to make moves, but their approach regarding the developments in Syria are not too good. We cannot say that the approach of the Netherlands or Belgium is too good,” Erdoğan said.The Turkish president had visited France in early 2018.
Erdoğan says Idlib assault would be ‘a grave massacre’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan arrived in Iran's capital Tehran on Friday for a summit with his Iranian and Russian counterparts to discuss the humanitarian situation in Syria.The Syrian regime has recently announced plans to launch a major military offensive in Idlib, which is controlled by various armed opposition groups. Idlib will be the main item of the summit’s agenda.Turkey, which backs the opposition against Assad, has said an offensive on Idlib would be disastrous. Ankara is sheltering 3.5 million Syrian refugees.Video: Turkish President Erdoğan arrives in Tehran for summit on SyriaThe first tripartite summit was held in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi on Nov. 22 to discuss progress made in the Astana peace talks and changes in de-escalation zones across Syria.The second trilateral meeting was hosted by Erdoğan in April in the Turkish capital Ankara.Erdoğan is accompanied by Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak and Presidency Communications Director Fahrettin Altun.The president will have a bilateral meeting with Rouhani. Erdoğan is also expected to have a separate meeting with Putin.Following the summit, the leaders will hold a joint news conference.
Turkey’s Erdoğan arrives in Tehran for trilateral summit
Yasser Farhan, a member of the political committee of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces who was also present at the Astana talks, told Yeni Şafak daily in an exclusive interview that the Assad regime was trying to sabotage the Tehran summit with the help of the United States.“Secret meetings between the U.S. and the Assad regime can be summarized as negotiations to guarantee the PKK’s pirate structure. The regime wants to sabotage the Idlib process with the help of the U.S. The attacks that started before the Sept. 7 summit were a clear provocation. Assad’s aim is to forge the new constitution without including the opposition in the process. This is why he is trying to end our presence on the field. Our requests have been clear since the first Astana talks. These are: de-escalation zones, stability, the release of captives, a new constitution and a free election,” Farhan said.The Syrian regime has recently announced plans to launch a major military offensive in Idlib, which is controlled by various armed opposition groups.The leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran are due to meet on Friday in Iran and are expected to discuss the situation in northwestern Syria. Turkey, which backs the opposition against Assad, has said an offensive on Idlib would be disastrous. Ankara is sheltering 3.5 million Syrian refugees.Turkish president heads to Iran for trilateral summitAssad constantly violates international laws“We presented a list of 65,000 arrested people to the regime. A decision was reached to release these people in stages, however, one year later, not one captive was freed. We also know that in the span of the seven-year war, 450,000 people were unofficially arrested and a great number of them were killed by torture. An international committee was formed and decisions were made. However, Assad continues to disregard all international laws,” he added.U.S. and allies only offer conditional protectionWhile the United States and its allies have warned of a bloodbath in Idlib, they have made clear they would only intervene should they deem that chemical weapons have been used.“The U.S. and its allies have stated that they will strike Syria if the regime uses chemical weapons in Syria. So will these massacres be legitimate if chemical weapons aren’t used?” Farhan said.Children of Idlib roam streets with makeshift gas maskIn preparation for a chemical attack, the children of Idlib have started to make improvised gas masks. They poked holes in the bottom of paper cups stuck to the bottom of plastic bags. Some of the children also help their fathers during practice drills. They spend their time in makeshift shelters in underground caves in order to protect themselves from air raids by Russia and the Syrian regime.U.S. prioritizes the PKK and Israel“The U.S.’s unofficial priorities is for the PKK to gain legitimacy in Syria, the reduction of Iranian presence in Syria to protect Israel, and the weakening of the regime’s air and land forces. Idlib is just an excuse. The regime and U.S. officials held two meetings in Damascus and Aleppo. The main item on the agenda of these meetings was to provide the PKK constitutional protection. MP and Intelligence Chief Ali Memlük met with a U.S. delegation in Damascus on behalf of Assad. Regime undersecretaries met with the Americans in Aleppo,” Farhan said.U.S. delivered Golan Heights to IsraelThe U.S. ambassador to Israel said in remarks published on Thursday that he expected Israel to keep the Golan Heights in perpetuity, in an apparent nod towards its claim of sovereignty over the strategic plateau captured from Syria in a 1967 war.Foreign governments, including the United States, do not recognize Israel's claim and President Donald Trump's national security adviser has said Washington's policy is unchanged.However, U.S. Ambassador David Friedman suggested that Israel was there to stay and said it was possible the United States would consider recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights in the future.US envoy sees Israel keeping Golan Heights forever"I personally cannot imagine a situation in which the Golan Heights will be returned to Syria. I frankly cannot imagine a situation in which the Golan Heights is not part of Israel forever," he told the right-wing Israel Hayom newspaper.Friedman said there was "no one more undeserving of this prize" - control of the Golan Heights - than Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.The Golan Heights form a buffer between Israel and Syria of about 1,200 square kilometers (460 square miles). Israel captured most of it from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war. Israel annexed the territory in 1981, a move not recognized internationally.Top Turkish, Iranian diplomats meet in TehranWhite Helmets: Syria's savior angelsSyria's Idlib residents concerned about new attacksChemical weapons 'being prepared' in Syria: US envoy
‘Assad tries to sabotage Tehran summit with help of US’