Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared every Syrian government unit to be a legitimate target on Friday, after Turkish attacks overnight killed at least 31 Syrian soldiers in Idlib and Aleppo Provinces.
Turkey had launched an attempt to retake an observation post near Idlib city on Thursday, before being repelled by airstrikes, in which 34 Turkish troops were killed. The evening attacks were retaliation for this.
NATO is warning that the situation could escalate into a full-scale war, and their advice is for Syria and Russia to back down. There seems to be no interest in advising Turkey to stop picking fights.
Erdogan has spent the last several weeks threatening major escalations, and had pledged to retake Idlib Province by this week’s end. That seems clearly not going to happen, but Erdogan’s threats to keep picking up their attacks risk dragging Russia more deeply into the conflict.
Escalation is Turkey’s only strategy at this point, and while the US and NATO don’t seem interested in getting directly involved, they do seem to feel obligated to endorse what Turkey is doing.
Where is the source which confirms Syrian soldier casualties?
What, don’t trust the Western free press and the word of Turkish officials?
Off with your head.
LOL!! Now its 300 dead according to Turkish sources. Fools.
Let the Turks meet Vlad “The Impaler” Putin! Russia needs to arm the Kurds and do what the US failed to do for the Kurds. Help the Kurds and let them fight for their homeland. The only genocidal regime is the Turkish one. Make Erdogan pay.
“NATO is warning that the situation could escalate into a full-scale war, and their advice is for Syria and Russia to back down”
Sure. Tell the sovereign government and their invited guests to stop defending the sovereign government’s territory. The puppet NATO has spoken.
Erdogan is probably trying to trade Putin, Turkey in Idlib for Turkey in Libya.
Putin probably notices Erdogan has a realistic claim on neither and so has nothing to deal. However, geopolitically Erdogon wouldn’t be to far crazy to making such a play, if indeed Turkey in Libya is what Syria posturing is really all about.
He can cause Russia a lot of trouble before going down in flames fighting in both countries; or just choose to fight Russia in Libya and abandon Idlib.
NATO and the US feel obligated to endorse what Turkey is doing
Obligated to who? Not the American interests or its People?
How dare they call on Syria and Russia to withdraw and stop attacking the forces which are INVADING and KILLING SYRIANS in Syria.
If someone invaded the US or any other Nation will the US call the Nation being invaded the Aggressor? Pompeo and the US logic eludes me
There is no logic here, there never has been. The US impose themselves on the rest of the World, if not directly then by using proxies, in this case Turkey. Eighty years of coups, invasions and war, millions killed.