Turkey Summons Iranian, Russian Envoys over Attacks on Syria’s Idlib
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Turkey summoned the ambassadors of Iran and Russia to protest alleged violations of de-escalation zone borders by the Syrian government in the northwestern province of Idlib in recent days, the Turkish foreign ministry said Tuesday.
According to diplomatic sources, Turkey informed Russia and Iran about its concerns over the purported violations of the de-escalation agreement in Idlib, Daily Sabah reported.
The foreign ministry told Russia's Ambassador to Ankara Alexei Yerkhov that the violations must end until the "Syrian National Dialogue Congress" is held on January 29.
Turkey considers the attacks as serious violations of the borders agreed upon during the Astana process by the three guarantor countries, the sources said.
The Attacks harm efforts aimed at reaching a political solution, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu had said earlier in the day.
"With the excuse of al-Nusra, the regime is targeting the moderate opposition. This damages the process of political resolution. The parties that will convene in Sochi should not do this," Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara ahead of the Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) group meeting in Parliament.
His comments came a day after Syrian forces captured 14 villages as they advanced on the opposition-held enclave in the country's north amid a wave of airstrikes.
As part of the de-escalation zones, agreed in a tripartite consensus between Iran, Russian and Turkey, Turkish forces are also currently in Syria's Idlib province, monitoring the process in the military posts set up in the province.
