Erdogan threatens to hit Syrian forces ‘everywhere’ if troops hurt

Erdogan issued the threat during a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party at the parliament in Ankara on Wednesday.

The Syrian army and allied forces have been gaining ground against Ankara-backed and other militants in the northwestern Idlib Province, just south of Turkey’s border, recently.

Under a deal reached with Russia and brokered by Iran in 2018 known as the Sochi agreement, a small number of Turkish forces were allowed to man observation posts on Syrian territory to monitor the enforcement of certain de-escalation zones. However, Syrian forces have been advancing to re-establish control over sovereign territory in Idlib because militants have been targeting civilian targets from there. Turkey, meanwhile, has been sending in extra troops and military hardware in a provocative move that defies the Syrian government.