Demonstration supporting Turkey held in Syria, Idlib

By Mehmet Burak Karacaoglu and Esref Musa

IDLIB, Syria (AA) - A demonstration was held in northwestern Idlib province of Syria to show support after Turkey and Russia agreed in Moscow to a new cease-fire in the war-torn province.

The crowd gathered in the city center in Idlib, carrying banners reading: “The revolution is ongoing,” “Turkish martyrs are our brothers, we are very upset,” and “Assad is a war criminal”.

A Turkish flag was raised on a pole in the square and the crowd chanted slogans for continuation of Turkish military presence in the region.

On Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed in Moscow to a new cease-fire in Idlib.

Turkey launched Operation Spring Shield after at least 34 Turkish soldiers were martyred last week in an Assad regime airstrike in Idlib province. Under a 2018 deal with Russia, Turkish troops were in Idlib to protect civilians from attacks by the regime and its allies.

* Writing by Handan Kazanci in Istanbul.