NATO expresses ‘full solidarity’ with Turkey over Syria airstrikes
NATO allies will consider strengthening Ankara’s air defences in response to the strike that killed 33 Turkish troops in rebel-held Syria overnight, following an emergency meeting of the military alliance in Brussels on Friday.
Turkey had also called for western countries to establish a no-fly zone after the incident but NATO sources stressed that idea – which could lead to direct conflict with the Russian air force – was not seriously discussed.
Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary general, said that members of the western military alliance expressed their “full solidarity” with Turkey in the aftermath of the attack, which took place in the last rebel-held province of Idlib.
But Stoltenberg offered no immediate promise of assistance to Turkey, saying instead in the aftermath of the meeting that Nato members were “constantly looking into what more they can do to provide further support for Turkey”.
Sources said this would most likely mean strengthening Nato’s existing reconnaissance mission over the country and building on the Patriot air defence system run by Spain. Although the US has previously said it would only supply similar equipment directly if Turkey ditches plans to deploy a rival Russian S-400 system.
NATO had held urgent talks on the crisis on Friday after Turkey requested a rare emergency meeting of members under article 4 of the alliance’s governing treaty, on the grounds that its security was under threat.Advertisement
Turkish officials blamed Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian regime for the major attack on its troops and launched retaliatory attacks, saying it had destroyed five Syrian military helicopters and two air defence systems, and “neutralised” 309 Syrian regime soldiers, without providing evidence. A war monitor said at least 20 Syrian troops had died in the counterattacks.
However, several sources in Idlib and unverified footage of the night-time strike suggested it had been carried out by the Russian air force, which has helped Damascus conduct a ferocious three-month offensive in the province.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s communications director, Fahrettin Altun, said Turkey had retaliated by hitting Damascus regime targets “from the air and ground”. Drone footage released by the Turkish military of the response showed blistering attacks on tanks, howitzers and soldiers.
US secretary of state Mike Pompeo described Thursday’s attack as “despicable and brazen” and said the US was “reviewing options to assist Turkey against this aggression as we seek to prevent further Assad regime and Russian brutality and alleviate the humanitarian suffering in Idlib.”
Source: The Guardian
*The information and views set out in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the official opinion of the IPE Club. Neither the IPE Club nor any person acting on it behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.
