NATO to hold emergency meeting at Turkey’s request to discuss escalation in Idlib
The NATO Council will hold a meeting on Feb. 28 to discuss the situation in Syria at Turkey’s request amid the escalation, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced.
He also condemned the attacks carried out by the Bash al-Assad regime and its supporter Russia in Idlib.
“Today, the #NATO Council meets at Turkey’s request to consult under Article 4 of NATO’s founding Washington Treaty on the situation in Syria,” Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter.
Under Article 4, any NATO ally may request consultations if it believes its territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened.
Stoltenberg has called for an end to the attacks, NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu told Anadolu Agency.
He also called on the Syrian regime and its supporter Russia to comply with international law and support the peace efforts of the United Nations.
“By defusing the tension, all sides should prevent this terrible situation and humanitarian conditions in the region from getting worse,” he said.
UN top diplomat reiterates call for ceasefire
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Feb. 27 reiterated his call for an “immediate ceasefire” in northwestern Syria following a deadly airstrike by Syrian regime forces on Turkish troops in Idlib province.
In a statement, the secretary-general’s spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said Guterres is monitoring the escalation in the region and reports of fallen Turkish soldiers with “grave concern.”
Guterres “expresses particular concern about the risk to civilians from escalating military actions,” said Dujarric. “Without urgent action, the risk of even greater escalation grows by the hour.”At least 33 Turkish troops killed in Syria’s Idlib
He said there is no military solution to the Syrian conflict.
“The only sustainable solution is a UN-facilitated political process pursuant to Security Council resolution 2254 (2015),” said Dujarric, referring to an endorsed roadmap for a peace process in Syria.
US calls for end to Syrian regime’s offensive
The U.S. voiced solidarity with its NATO ally Turkey, calling for an “immediate end” to the Bashar al-Assad regime’s offensive on northwestern Syria’s Idlib province following deadly attacks.
“We stand by our NATO Ally Turkey and continue to call for an immediate end to this despicable offensive by the Assad regime, Russia and Iranian-backed forces,” a State Department spokesperson speaking on condition of anonymity told Anadolu Agency.
“As the President and the Secretary have said, we are looking at options on how we can best support Turkey in this crisis,” the spokesperson added.
EU rapporteur ‘very sorry’ over killed troops
The EU Parliament’s Turkey rapporteur expressed sorrow over Turkish soldiers killed in an airstrike by the Bashar al-Assad regime forces in Idlib.
“Very sorry for the loss of TK soldiers lives and deeply concerned about recent developments around #Turkey #Idlib and #Refugees,” Nacho Sanchez Amor said on Twitter.
“EU is far reliable” ally, Amor said, calling on Turkey to abandon what he called “unilateralism”.
According to UN officials, some 900,000 people have been displaced by the offensive carried out by the Bashar al-Assad regime backed by Russia since December.
At least 33 Turkish troops were killed in the airstrike, according to Governor Rahmi Doğan of Hatay province in southern Turkey.
Ankara has vowed to retaliate against the “illegitimate” Syrian regime in the wake of the attack.
Following the airstrike, the U.S. expressed concern over the reported deaths of the soldiers.
“We stand by our NATO Ally Turkey and continue to call for an immediate end to this despicable offensive by the Assad regime, Russia and Iranian-backed forces,” a State Department spokesperson speaking on condition of anonymity told Anadolu Agency.
Source: Hurriyet Daily News
