Turkey Gives Idlib Diplomacy Time But Warns of Refugee Crisis
Turkish Delegation to Visit Russia for Talks on Idlib Clashes
(Bloomberg) -- The Turkish government still sees a chance that diplomacy might rein in attacks by the Syrian regime on Idlib and stem a potentially large flow of refugees from the rebel-held province.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday that a Turkish delegation will travel to Russia on Monday to discuss a way out of the deadlock in Idlib, where Russian-backed Syrian forces have recently increased their attacks on groups they consider to be terrorists.
However, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Syrian forces must bring to an end indiscriminate bombing of civilians. The situation in Idlib could see the flight of a million new refugees, but Turkey can’t afford to host them after receiving more than 3.5 million Syrians since the civil war began nine years ago, Erdogan was cited as saying by national television channels on Saturday.
Edrogan renewed his call on President Bashar al-Assad to pull back his military from areas surrounding Turkish outposts in Syria. Erdogan said Russia-backed Syrian forces have suffered serious casualties and lost a helicopter in recent days, following the death of more than a dozen Turkish soldiers in attacks carried out by the Syrian army.
Ankara and Moscow have somehow managed to maintain cozy ties despite backing opposite sides in the Syrian civil war. But a growing discord became apparent in the wake of attacks on Idlib where the two powers acted as a guarantor to maintain truce.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after talks with his Turkish counterpart on Saturday that it’s a “very difficult task” to resolve the crisis even as contacts continue. “The victory over terrorists is unavoidable,” Lavrov said at the Munich Security Conference.
Turkey is ready to take the “necessary steps” should diplomatic contacts with Moscow fail to de-escalate the situation, Cavusoglu said.
The American Role
The U.S., which has seen its sway in the Turkish capital diminish in recent years, tried to capitalize on the recent disagreement to dissuade Turkey from maintaining close ties with Russia, especially in the defense industry.
In a sign of continued caution toward Washington, Erdogan said a recent visit by the U.S.’s top Syria envoy failed to stem Turkish concerns over the American-backing of Kurdish militants elsewhere.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Erdogan both consider Syrian regime attacks in Idlib unacceptable and discussed how to end the crisis “without further delay,” according to a readout of their phone call on Saturday released by the Turkish leader’s office.
Cavusoglu also said plans to acquire and deploy Russian missile defense system S-400 remain unchanged despite recent U.S. pleas to abandon them.
--With assistance from Henry Meyer.
To contact the reporter on this story: Onur Ant in Istanbul at oant@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Riad Hamade at rhamade@bloomberg.net, James Cone, James Amott
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