Turkish President refuses to 'step back' in Syrian region of Idlib

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said that Ankara would not take the 'smallest step back' in the conflict with Russia backed Damascus over the northern Syrian region of Idlib, as per reports. Erdogan is scheduled to meet his Russian counterpart Vladamir Putin in a meeting next month.

Turkey refuses to back down

Erdogan, while addressing the ruling party lawmakers in Parliament said that Turkey would not take the smallest step back in regards to the conflict in Idlib. He further claimed that Turkey would push back the regime to the borders that were previously agreed upon by Russia and Turkey, as well as ensure that people are returned to their homes. As a part of a long-standing deal with Russia that is a supporter of President Bashar al-Assad, Turkey that supports the rebels has 12 observation posts in Idlib. But due to an aggressive offensive by the Syrian regime, several of these outposts have come under fire from Assad's forces.

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According to reports, Turkey announced that 17 of its security personnel have been killed this month. In response to this aggression by the Syrian regime, Erdogan has bluntly warned that Syria should "stop its attacks as soon as possible". He also told Syria to pull back to the agreed positions by the end of February.

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According to reports, Erdogan also said, that the time that was given to those that are besieging Turkey's observation posts is running out and that they would save those trapped in the observation posts one way or another. 

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Erdogan also claimed that the only problem that Turkey faced is the inability to use its air force because the skies above Idlib were controlled by Russia. Damascus on Wednesday announced that it had recaptured large areas in recent days, including the town of Kafranbel in the south of Idlib, a town known to have been among the first to rebel against Damascus.

Read: 'Situation In Idlib Will Only Be Resolved When Syrian Troops Withdraw': Turkey's Erdogan

While Turkey and Russia, despite backing different sides have worked to end the conflict in Syria, but the latest offensive in Idlib has caused tensions to soar between the two nations.

(Image Credit: AP) (With inputs from Agencies)