BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb.28
By Rufiz Hafizoghlu – Trend:
Ankara may close Turkish gulfs to Russian ships in response to escalation of violence in Idlib province of Syria, Trend reports Feb.28 referring to Turkish media.
Due to the fact that, according to Ankara, Russia is already involved and is an interested party in the military conflict in Syria, Turkey, according to the Lausanne Peace Treaty, has the right to close the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits to the parties to the conflict, said the report.
Today the Minister of National Defense of Turkey Hulusi Akar stated that strikes on the positions of the Turkish military in Idlib were carried out despite coordination of the actions with the Russian party, which had been notified in advance about the locations of the Turkish armed forces in the de-escalation zone.
"In response to the air strike on the positions of the Turkish military in Idlib, the Turkish armed forces launched massive artillery and air (with UAVs) strikes on more than 200 objects of the Bashar Assad regime forces in Idlib. The Turkish army destroyed 5 helicopters, 23 tanks, 23 guns and self-propelled guns, the SA-17 anti-aircraft missile system, the SA-22 anti-aircraft missile system, and 309 supporters of Bashar Assad were neutralized in Idlib," the minister stated.
Akar stressed that during the air strike on the positions of the Turkish military in Idlib, there have been no armed opposition groups in this sector.
"The strikes on the positions of the Turkish military in Idlib continued, despite the warning of Ankara. The strikes were even made on military ambulances," the minister said.
As a result of an air strike by the forces of the Bashar Assad regime in the Idlib de-escalation zone, 33 Turkish soldiers died, and 32 were injured on Feb. 27.
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