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Syrians in the northwestern city of Idlib perform funerary prayers on February 28, 2020 for Turkish soldiers killed the previous day in a Syrian government air strike. Photo via Abdulaziz Ketaz / AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – According to the Turkish Ministry of Defense, Syrian government airstrikes on Thursday killed 33 Turkish soldiers and wounded 32 others. This is the highest single death toll of Turkish soldiers in the Syrian conflict yet.
NATO’s North Atlantic Council met on Friday to discuss the attack, following a request by Turkey to hold consultations under Article 4 of NATO’s founding Washington Treaty. Under article 4 of the Treaty, any NATO member can request consultations whenever they feel their territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened.
Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary, condemned the attack on behalf of the allies in a statement after the meeting.
“We call on them to stop their offensive. To respect international law. And to back UN efforts for a peaceful solution,” said Stoltenberg of Syria and Russia.
According to Al-Monitor sources, the airstrikes took place during a joint Russian-Syrian air offensive on Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) targets in southern Idlib. The onset of the attack led a Turkish mechanized infantry battalion of around 400 soldiers to take cover in buildings.
Al-Monitor’s sources stated that Russian jets most likely dropped KAB-1500L bombs, which caused two of the buildings to collapse. Many of the soldiers inside were killed and injured from the falling rubble.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received U.S. President Donald Trump’s condolences for the deaths of the soldiers during a phone call on Friday.
“President Trump reaffirmed his support for Turkey’s efforts to de-escalate the situation in northwest Syria and avoid a humanitarian catastrophe,” said Judd Deere, Deputy Press Secretary of the White House, in a tweet on Friday.
A statement by the office of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey divulged more details of the phone call between the two presidents, saying, “President Erdoğan reminded during the conversation that due response was given to the perpetrators of the heinous attack targeting gallant Turkish soldiers, and reconfirmed Turkey’s determination to cleanse the area designated by Sochi Memorandum of regime elements.”
U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo expressed solidarity with Turkey in a press statement, stating, “The United States is engaging with our Turkish Allies and reviewing options to assist Turkey against this aggression as we seek to prevent further Assad regime and Russian brutality and alleviate the humanitarian suffering in Idlib.”
James Jeffrey, the U.S. special representative for Syria engagement, is allegedly pressuring the Defense Department to send Patriot missile defense batteries to Turkey, according to Politico. However, Politico cited other sources as saying that the Pentagon sees such a move as reckless due to potential global consequences.
The attack also prompted the United Nations Security Council to hold an emergency session on Friday to discuss the situation unfolding in Idlib.
“We strongly urge Russia and Turkey to build upon their previous agreements to secure a ceasefire for northwest Syria”, said Rosemary A. DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, placing an emphasis on the devastating impact this type of escalation has on civilians.
However, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya defended Syrian government’s decision to conduct strikes, saying that Syria had the right to respond to terrorist attacks on its sovereign territory.
"In response to the ongoing violations of the ceasefire regime within the zone of Idlib, the Syrian army certainly has the right to respond and suppress terrorists," said Nebenzya.
Speaking to Turkish MPs in Istanbul on Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Turkish troops are in Syria on the invitation of Syrians, not the government in Damascus, and added that they would not leave the country unless asked by Syrians.
He also said he told Russian president Vladimir Putin: "Withdraw [your troops and] leave us alone with the regime."
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