PodcastTurkish troops to respond to attacks on observation posts in Idlib
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said that any attack on the observation posts in Syria's Idlib will be responded to. "In no way will we evacuate 12 observation points heroically carrying out their mission of ensuring the ceasefire; we are not going to leave," Akar said. The minister also commented on the possibility of Turkey sending troops to Libya under a new security pact if the country’s GNA requests it.
Anadolu Agency
Turkey will definitely stay at its observation posts monitoring a ceasefire in northwestern Syria and its soldiers there have orders to respond to any acts of hostility, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Dec. 29.
"In no way will we evacuate 12 observation points heroically carrying out their mission of ensuring the ceasefire; we are not going to leave," Akar told army commanders in the southern border province of Hatay.
His remarks came in the wake of attacks by the Syrian troops, Russian and Iranian-backed forces which have sent thousands of people fleeing Idlib, where the observation posts are located, towards Turkey.
Akar said the troops at these observation posts have been ordered to respond without hesitation if they are attacked or harassed.
Syrian and Russian forces have intensified their bombardment of targets in Idlib, which Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to recapture, prompting a wave of refugees towards Turkey.
The attacks resumed after the recent collapse of a ceasefire that had in force since the end of August.
'Whether at home or abroad'
The minister also commented on the possibility of Turkey sending troops to Libya under a new security pact if the country’s Government of National Accord (GNA) requests it.
"Our army is ready to protect Turkey's rights and interests whether at home or abroad," he said.
Since the ouster and death of ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: One in eastern Libya supported mainly by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and the GNA in Tripoli, which enjoys UN and international recognition.
On Nov. 27, Ankara and Libya's GNA signed two separate pacts, one on military cooperation and the other on maritime boundaries of countries in the Eastern Mediterranean.
On April 4, Khalifa Haftar, who commands forces based in eastern Libya, launched an offensive to capture the capital Tripoli from GNA forces.
According to the UN, over a thousand people have been killed since the start of the operation and more than 5,000 injured.