Russian and Turkish diplomats, who held consultations in Ankara on the unfolding crisis in Syria’s Idlib province, have reaffirmed their nations’ commitments to deescalate the hostilities, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Both sides also agreed “to continue fighting against terrorist forces as designated by the UN Security Council” and to protect the civilian population, the statement said.
The talks in Ankara have been held amid a major escalation in northwestern Syria, where dozens of Turkish troops have been killed by Syrian forces amid an ongoing counter-terrorism offensive. Ankara demanded the withdrawal of all Syrian government troops from Idlib and threatened to launch a large-scale military operation if the demands are not met by the end of February.