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| Turkey to let refugees flee to Europe as strike in Syria kills 33 troops | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Fears of escalation grow after attack by Russian-backed Syrian forces in Idlib province | |
| Turkey has said it is opening the gates for refugees to flee to Europe after an airstrike blamed on Damascus killed 33 Turkish soldiers in Syria. | |
| The international community voiced fears of a rapidly growing risk of escalation after the attack by Russian-backed Syrian forces in the province of Idlib, where the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, is waging a bloody campaign to oust rebels from their last holdout. | The international community voiced fears of a rapidly growing risk of escalation after the attack by Russian-backed Syrian forces in the province of Idlib, where the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, is waging a bloody campaign to oust rebels from their last holdout. |
| The deadly bombardment has added to weeks of growing tensions between Turkey, a supporter of Syrian rebels and Nato member, and Moscow, which is allied with Assad. | |
| Moscow announced that two of its warships were moving through the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul on Friday in plain sight of the city. | Moscow announced that two of its warships were moving through the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul on Friday in plain sight of the city. |
| The UN has repeatedly warned that the fighting in Idlib could potentially create the most serious humanitarian crisis since the start of the civil war in 2011. | The UN has repeatedly warned that the fighting in Idlib could potentially create the most serious humanitarian crisis since the start of the civil war in 2011. |
| But Russian vetoes, often backed by China, have chronically constrained UN action in Syria. | But Russian vetoes, often backed by China, have chronically constrained UN action in Syria. |
| Turkey retaliated to Thursday’s strike by hitting Damascus regime targets “from the air and ground”, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s communications director, Fahrettin Altun, said. | Turkey retaliated to Thursday’s strike by hitting Damascus regime targets “from the air and ground”, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s communications director, Fahrettin Altun, said. |
| The US condemned the Syrian action, and Nato said it would hold urgent talks on the crisis on Friday. | The US condemned the Syrian action, and Nato said it would hold urgent talks on the crisis on Friday. |
| In a move that could have major repercussions for Turkey’s neighbours to the west, Ankara said it would open the way for refugees to go to Europe. | In a move that could have major repercussions for Turkey’s neighbours to the west, Ankara said it would open the way for refugees to go to Europe. |
| “We will no longer keep the doors closed for refugees who want to go to Europe,” an official said on condition of anonymity. | “We will no longer keep the doors closed for refugees who want to go to Europe,” an official said on condition of anonymity. |
| Turkey also called on the international community to establish a no-fly zone over Idlib, where regime forces have since December clawed back chunks of the region, forcing close to a million people to flee their homes and shelters amid bitter cold. | Turkey also called on the international community to establish a no-fly zone over Idlib, where regime forces have since December clawed back chunks of the region, forcing close to a million people to flee their homes and shelters amid bitter cold. |
| The UN said on Monday that the latest fighting was coming “dangerously close” to encampments of the displaced, risking an imminent “bloodbath”. | The UN said on Monday that the latest fighting was coming “dangerously close” to encampments of the displaced, risking an imminent “bloodbath”. |
| Turkey, which is already home to around 3.6 million Syrian refugees, fears more people will arrive. There is growing popular discontent against their presence in Turkey. | Turkey, which is already home to around 3.6 million Syrian refugees, fears more people will arrive. There is growing popular discontent against their presence in Turkey. |
| In a series of tweets, Altun accused Assad of “conducting ethnic cleansing” and seeking to drive millions of Syrians out of Idlib. | In a series of tweets, Altun accused Assad of “conducting ethnic cleansing” and seeking to drive millions of Syrians out of Idlib. |
| “These people will try to escape to Turkey and Europe. Already hosting close to 4 million refugees, we do not have the capacity and resources to allow entry to another million,” he wrote. | “These people will try to escape to Turkey and Europe. Already hosting close to 4 million refugees, we do not have the capacity and resources to allow entry to another million,” he wrote. |
| Groups of migrants had already moved towards western Turkey seeking to reach Greece, Turkey’s private DHA news agency reported. | Groups of migrants had already moved towards western Turkey seeking to reach Greece, Turkey’s private DHA news agency reported. |
| Greece on Friday boosted border patrols, a government source said. “Greece has tightened the guarding of its land and sea borders to the maximum degree possible.” | |
| A police source told AFP that border patrols had been doubled and a general call for heightened readiness had been issued. | |
| An army source said around 300 people had been spotted on the Turkish side of the border in the north-eastern Evros region. | |
| “These numbers are not out of the ordinary,” the officer said. | |
| The international community voiced alarm over the latest violence in Idlib. | The international community voiced alarm over the latest violence in Idlib. |
| “Without urgent action, the risk of even greater escalation grows by the hour,” the UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement, reiterating the call by the secretary general, António Guterres, for an immediate ceasefire. | |
| The Nato chief, Jens Stoltenberg, urged de-escalation by all parties of “this dangerous situation” and condemned the “indiscriminate airstrikes” in a phone call with the Turkish foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu. | |
| A US state department spokesperson said Washington stood by its Nato ally and continued to call “for an immediate end to this despicable offensive by the Assad regime, Russia and Iranian-backed forces”. | A US state department spokesperson said Washington stood by its Nato ally and continued to call “for an immediate end to this despicable offensive by the Assad regime, Russia and Iranian-backed forces”. |
| Under a 2018 deal with Russia meant to bring calm to Idlib, Turkey has 12 observation posts in the Idlib region – but several have come under fire from Assad’s forces. | Under a 2018 deal with Russia meant to bring calm to Idlib, Turkey has 12 observation posts in the Idlib region – but several have come under fire from Assad’s forces. |
| In its first response to the Turkish deaths, Russia’s defence ministry said the troops were among “terrorist groups” and that they had not communicated their presence in the area. | In its first response to the Turkish deaths, Russia’s defence ministry said the troops were among “terrorist groups” and that they had not communicated their presence in the area. |
| Thursday’s attack brings to 53 the number of Turkish security personnel killed in Idlib so far this month. | Thursday’s attack brings to 53 the number of Turkish security personnel killed in Idlib so far this month. |
| Elsewhere, jihadists and Turkish-backed rebels on Thursday re-entered Saraqeb, a key Idlib crossroads town they had lost earlier in February, reversing one of the main gains of the government’s devastating offensive. | Elsewhere, jihadists and Turkish-backed rebels on Thursday re-entered Saraqeb, a key Idlib crossroads town they had lost earlier in February, reversing one of the main gains of the government’s devastating offensive. |
| The counter-offensive could, however, be short-lived as Russian-backed Syrian troops continued to chip away at other parts of the rebel bastion, capturing 20 localities. | The counter-offensive could, however, be short-lived as Russian-backed Syrian troops continued to chip away at other parts of the rebel bastion, capturing 20 localities. |
| Seven civilians, including three children, were killed in regime and Russian bombardment of Idlib, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, adding to more than 400 such deaths since December. | Seven civilians, including three children, were killed in regime and Russian bombardment of Idlib, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, adding to more than 400 such deaths since December. |
| The state news agency SANA acknowledged there were “fierce clashes” between the army and “terrorist groups on the Saraqeb front”. | The state news agency SANA acknowledged there were “fierce clashes” between the army and “terrorist groups on the Saraqeb front”. |
| An AFP correspondent accompanied the rebels into Saraqeb, where he found a ghost town of bombed-out buildings. | An AFP correspondent accompanied the rebels into Saraqeb, where he found a ghost town of bombed-out buildings. |
| The counter-attack temporarily reverses one of the key gains of the government since its offensive against the country’s last rebel enclave in December. | The counter-attack temporarily reverses one of the key gains of the government since its offensive against the country’s last rebel enclave in December. |
| The cash-strapped government had been keen to fully secure the M5, a highway that connects Syria’s four main cities and passes through Saraqeb. | The cash-strapped government had been keen to fully secure the M5, a highway that connects Syria’s four main cities and passes through Saraqeb. |
| The Syrian Observatory said the air trikes were carried out by Russia, heavily criticised by the west for the high civilian death toll from its bombing campaign. | The Syrian Observatory said the air trikes were carried out by Russia, heavily criticised by the west for the high civilian death toll from its bombing campaign. |
| State media accused the “terrorists” of launching car bombings and other suicide attacks against government forces attempting to retake the town. | State media accused the “terrorists” of launching car bombings and other suicide attacks against government forces attempting to retake the town. |
| It said the army had inflicted heavy losses on the attackers, despite the military support it said they had received from Turkey. | It said the army had inflicted heavy losses on the attackers, despite the military support it said they had received from Turkey. |
| Around 950,0000 civilians have fled the government offensive, raising fears in Ankara of a new influx of refugees. | Around 950,0000 civilians have fled the government offensive, raising fears in Ankara of a new influx of refugees. |
| More than half a million of those displaced since December are children, tens of thousands of whom are sleeping rough in northern Syria’s harsh winter. | More than half a million of those displaced since December are children, tens of thousands of whom are sleeping rough in northern Syria’s harsh winter. |
| Erdoğan had vowed on Wednesday that Ankara would not take the “smallest step back” in the standoff with Damascus and Moscow over Idlib. | Erdoğan had vowed on Wednesday that Ankara would not take the “smallest step back” in the standoff with Damascus and Moscow over Idlib. |