Turkish, UK defense chiefs discuss Idlib, Syria

By Selma Kasap

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's defense chief spoke to his British counterpart Monday night about the embattled province of Idlib, northern Syria and other issues.

Hulusi Akar and Ben Wallace also discussed other issues concerning defense and the security and defense industries, said a Turkish National Defense Ministry statement.

Idlib, near Turkey's southern border, falls within a de-escalation zone laid out in a deal between Turkey and Russia in late 2018.

The Syrian regime and its allies, however, have consistently broken the terms of the cease-fire, launching frequent attacks inside the territory where acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

The de-escalation zone is currently home to about four million civilians, including hundreds of thousands displaced in recent years by regime forces throughout the war-torn country.

Turkey has called for an immediate halt to the attacks on Idlib, and for the cease-fire to be followed, inviting the international community to take action.

* Writing by Firdevs Bulut