Turkey will push Syrian regime forces beyond observation points: Erdogan
February 26, 2020, 10:41 am

Turkey will push Syrian regime forces beyond observation points: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (File photo AP)

Turkey will push Syrian regime forces beyond Ankara’s observation points, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, less than a day after the Russian-backed regime recaptured Kafr Nabil – a renowned opposition town in Idlib.

In a speech to AK Party lawmakers, Erdogan said he hoped the issue of using air space in northwest Syria’s Idlib will be resolved soon. Russia controls the air space and has been bombing Turkey-backed opposition factions daily in support of an offensive by the Syrian government forces.

The Idlib region is home to around three million people, half of whom were evacuated by regime forces from other parts of the country after the forces besieged cities controlled by the opposition and bombarded them with airstrikes.

The Syrian war, which started with the regime’s deadly oppression of anti-government protests, has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced more than half the country’s population.

source: Leen Alfaisal

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.