At least 33 Turkish soldiers were killed Thursday in Idleb province in raids attributed to the Syrian regime by Ankara, which immediately retaliated by bombing positions in Damascus, raising fears of an escalation and another humanitarian disaster.
"If we do not act quickly, the risk of an even greater escalation increases from hour to hour," warned United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who called "for a cease-fire immediate".
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In a telephone conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg condemned the indiscriminate air strikes by the Syrian regime and its Russian ally. "He urged all parties to de-escalate this dangerous situation, and to avoid further worsening the appalling humanitarian situation in the region," said a spokesman for the alliance, of which Turkey is a member.
"We support our NATO ally, Turkey, and continue to call for an immediate halt to this heinous offensive by the Assad regime, Russia and Iranian-backed forces," said the official. a spokesperson for the US State Department.
Security Council in Ankara
In addition to the 33 dead, around 30 Turkish soldiers were injured in air strikes attributed by Ankara to the Syrian regime, which targeted the Idleb province in north-western Syria. The injured were repatriated to Turkey for hospitalization, said Rahmi Dogan, the governor of the Turkish province of Hatay, bordering Syria. Head of State Recep Tayyip Erdogan has convened an extraordinary security council in Ankara.
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As a sign that the situation is likely to worsen, the presidency announced that the Turkish army was bombing on the night of Thursday to Friday positions of the Bashar al-Assad regime in retaliation for the death of Turkish soldiers. "All the known positions of the (Syrian) regime have been taken under fire from our ground and air units," the presidential communications director Fahrettin Altun said in a statement. "Our brave soldiers have taken revenge," he said. The Turkish official also urged the international community, including Russia and Iran, sponsors of Damascus, to "assume their responsibilities" to "put an end to the crimes against humanity committed by the regime".
The heavy losses sustained by Ankara on Thursday come after weeks of mounting tensions in Idleb between Turkish and Bashar al-Assad’s regime forces, which have clashed repeatedly. These deadly bombings, which bring to at least 53 the number of Turkish soldiers killed in Idleb in February, are also likely to widen a gap between Ankara and Moscow, the main supporter of the Syrian regime.
A new round of talks between Russians and Turks aimed at finding a solution to the Idleb crisis ended Thursday in Ankara, without announcing a conclusive result.
