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Conflict in Syria

Erdogan says Turkey will act more resolutely in Syria

Turkish President noted that the operation is Syria was requiring serious efforts and claiming the lives of Turkish servicemen

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan EPA-EFE/MURAT KULA

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

© EPA-EFE/MURAT KULA

ANKARA, February 22. /TASS/. Ankara will act more resolutely in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday.

In his speech that was televised by the NTV television channel, Erdogan noted that the operation is Syria was requiring serious efforts and claiming the lives of Turkish servicemen.

"Yesterday, I had talks with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. Before that, I spoke with [French President Emmanuel] Macron and [German Chancellor Angela] Merkel. After that, we decided on our roadmap [on Syria]," he said. "We will take more resolute steps."

He did not say however which steps it would be, stressing only that Ankara "will not bend before global powers’ scenarios."

"Turkey’s policy in Syria and Libya is not adventurism it stems from the national interest," the Turkish leader stressed.

The situation in Syria’s Idlib de-escalation zone deteriorated dramatically in late January when Syrian government troops staged a counteroffensive to retaliate ceasefire violations by militants. A larger part of the Aleppo and Idlib governorate’s has been liberated.

Moscow has repeatedly voiced support to these counter-terrorist efforts whereas Ankara claimed that government troops had violated the Sochi agreements on peace settlement. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned about a possible military operation in Idlib.

On this background, militants’ attacks on Syrian government army’s positions have intensified and Russia’s aerospace forces’ taskforce joined retaliation efforts on February 20.

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Syrian conflict

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