Turkish defense minister: "Turkish troops staying put in Idlib, Syria"

Turkish defense minister: "Turkish troops staying put in Idlib, Syria"
# 12 March 2020 12:26 (UTC +04:00)

Turkey's armed forces maintain their presence in the province of Idlib, Syria, just across Turkey’s southern border, said the Turkish defense minister early Thursday, APA reports citing Anadolu Agency.

Rebuffing any claim that Turkey has withdrawn from the region of northwestern Syria, Hulusi Akar told reporters in the capital Ankara that "our elements maintain their presence."

On talks between Turkish and Russian military officials on starting joint patrols in Idlib, under the terms of a cease-fire reached last week, Akar said: "The Russian military delegation arrived and talks continue. We reached a great deal of agreement."

He added: "Our forces have been ordered to act accordingly if the cease-fire is violated and attacks continue. Everyone is ready at any moment … We will continue to restart where we left off and hurt them [Assad regime forces]," Akar added.

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THE OPERATION IS BEING PERFORMED