Tag: Syria

TURKEY: Erdogan in a bind, but de-escalation with Russia is the only option

Teneo March 10, 2020

At least 33 Turkish soldiers were killed and 32 wounded in the Syrian province of Idlib on 27 February in an escalating confrontation between Russian-backed Syrian forces on one side and Turkish forces and their Sunni militia allies on the other.… Read the rest

TURKEY: Shifting focus from threats to damage limitation in Idlib

Teneo February 24, 2020

On 22 February, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan announced plans for a four-country summit in Istanbul on 5 March to discuss the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Syrian governorate of Idlib
Erdogan’s call for international negotiations represents a significant climbdown from his repeated threats earlier in the month for Damascus to voluntarily surrender all the territorial gains that it has made since the beginning of the month.

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TURKEY: Turkish-Russian ties strained by developments in Syria

Teneo February 4, 2020

The 3 February bloodshed between Turkey and government forces in Idlib province was the latest reminder of the ever-increasing precariousness of Ankara’s policies in Syria.
Russia is likely to encourage Ankara and Damascus to refrain from further clashes, but more Turkish observation posts could be soon besieged if the regime offensive continues unabated.

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