'Turkey must give strong response to Assad regime'

By Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) – A Turkish opposition party leader on Tuesday urged the government to respond strongly to the deadly attacks on Turkish soldiers by the Assad regime.

"What are you waiting for? Don't beat around the bush while Turkish soldiers are being martyred in attacks carried out by soldiers of another state," Meral Aksener, leader of the Good (IYI) Party, said in a meeting of her party's parliamentary group.

Her comments came a day after five Turkish troops were martyred and five more injured in shelling by regime forces in Idlib, northwestern Syria.

The Turkish troops are in Idlib – nominally a cease-fire zone, under a deal between Turkey and Russia – as part of an anti-terror and peace mission.

"Spare us the heroic rhetoric; leave the microphone and do what is necessary,” Aksener said.

She also offered condolences to the Turkish nation and families of the martyred soldiers.

Monday’s attack was the latest incident of direct aggression by the Assad regime against Turkish soldiers in Idlib.

Last week, seven Turkish soldiers and a civilian contractor working with the Turkish military were martyred in a similar attack.

Turkey's Defense Ministry said on Monday its forces retaliated against the Assad regime under the rules of engagement and its right to legitimate self-defense.

The ministry said 115 Syrian regime targets were hit and 101 regime military personnel neutralized.

Turkey had also responded in force to last week’s attack by striking over 50 targets and killing 76 Syrian soldiers.

Idlib has been a stronghold of the opposition and anti-government armed groups since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

In September 2018, Turkey and Russia agreed to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

But more than 1,800 civilians have been killed in attacks by regime and Russian forces since then, flouting both the 2018 cease-fire and a new one that started on Jan. 12.