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Erdogan's emergency meeting ends after nearly 6 hours - UPDATED

28 February 2020 09:17 (UTC +04:00)

33 Turkish soldiers were killed and 32 others were injured in a Russia-backed Syrian forces airstrike in northwestern Syria's Idlib Thursday, confirmed the Governor of Hatay Rahmi Dogan, APA reports citing Daily Sabah.

Gov. Doğan initially confirmed the death toll as nine but later increased the number to 22, 29 and eventually 33. Some 32 more wounded Turkish soldiers are in stable condition and are being treated in hospitals, he added.

With the attack, the growing alarm in Ankara over the recent escalation of tensions reached a tipping point.

Late Thursday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan convened an emergency national security meeting on tensions in Idlib.

Security sources said that all ministers and senior officials, including the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) chief Hakan Fidan, were present in the meeting that started at 9:30 p.m. and lasted nearly six hours.

"We are hitting, with land and air backup, all known regime targets, and will continue to do so. We'll continue our operations in Syria until the hands that attacked our flag is dealt with," Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said.

In retaliation, Turkish artillery pounded Syrian forces target along the frontline in Idlib. Turkey also carried out missile attacks on targets in Syria's central Hama, northwestern towns of Nubl and Zahraa, as well as in regime and Russian bastion, Latakia.

"All elements of the Syrian government have now become targets. Turkey now recognizes all Assad regime elements as hostile targets," the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesman Omer Celik said.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoğlu held a phone call with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg following the attack. A statement released later on Friday said Stoltenberg condemns attacks carried out by the Syrian forces and its backer Russia in Idlib, calling for an immediate halt.

Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalın also held a phone call with U.S. National Security Adviser Robert C. O’Brien.

01:54

Twenty-two Turkish soldiers were killed and several others injured in a Bashar Assad regime airstrike on Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, border town Hatay's Governor Rahmi Doğan said late Thursday, APA reports citing Daily Sabah.

Earlier on the same day President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan convened an emergency meeting over tensions in the war-ravaged Syrian city.

Security sources told Daily Sabah that all ministers and senior officials, including the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) chief Hakan Fidan, were present in the meeting.

Meanwhile, the Directorate of Communications released a statement on the Turkish offensive against Syrian regime forces.

It said Turkish forces have neutralized at least 1,709 Assad regime soldiers, as well as 55 tanks, three helicopters, 18 armored vehicles, 29 howitzers, 21 military vehicles, six ammunition depots, seven mortars and four Soviet-made DShK heavy machine guns.

In September 2018, Turkey and Russia agreed to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone, in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

But more than 1,300 civilians have been killed in attacks by the regime and Russian forces in the de-escalation zone since then as the cease-fire continues to be violated.

More than 1 million Syrians have moved near the Turkish border due to some intense attacks.