Turkish Losses Rise in Dangerous Escalation Over Syria’s Idlib
Turkish Losses Rise in Dangerous Escalation Over Syria’s Idlib by Amberin Zaman – Al-Monitor
At least 29 Turkish soldiers were killed in the Syrian province of Idlib today in an escalating confrontation between Russian-backed Syrian forces on one side and Turkish forces and their Sunni rebel allies on the other, marking the highest number of Turkish losses in a single day since the start of the civil conflict in Syria nine years ago.
The governor of the border province of Hatay who revealed the figures blamed the deaths on an air attack by the Syrian regime.
Speaking after an emergency national security meeting covened by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, presidential communications director Fahrettin Altun pledged that Turkey’s soldiers would be avenged. “Our operations in the Syrian theater will continue until the blood soaked hands taking aim at our flag are broken. The decision to retaliate with far greater force against the illegitimate [Syrian] regime that pointed its guns at our soldiers has been made.”…