Turkey-Syria clashes complicate Moscow relations

Robert Inlakesh
Press TV, London

Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has said his country is determined to retaliate against any attacks against its forces in Syria and warned Russia not to stand in the way of Turkish military action.

Erdogan also demanded that Russia 'assumes its obligations' in Syria's Idlib province, one of the last remaining takfiri strongholds left in Syria.

The remarks came following the news that six Turkish soldiers were killed and many others wounded during a Syrian Army advance in Idlib.

Damascus has yet to comment on the situation but, Russia, which backs the Syrian government in its anti-terror operations, has reacted.

The Russian defense ministry said the attack took place against Turkish forces, because Ankara had failed to warn about another Turkish-planned operations in the same region.

Alarmed by the escalation, the United Nations was quick to react. Urging all sides to cease the fighting.

Turkey has already targeted Syrian Army positions, deploying F-16 fighter jets to attack government forces in Syria’s northwest on Monday. The bloodshed is likely to make future discussions between Russia and Turkey on regional issues increasingly tense.

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