Massive escalation between Russia and Turkey!
A large number of Turkish soldiers apparently died as a result of a Russian air strike. Turkish authorities say 22 victims and blamed the Assad regime, Syrian activists from the region believe dozens, up to 50 killed Turkish soldiers who were killed in Russian airstrikes.
The governor of the Turkish border region, Hatay, Rahmi Dogan, spoke on television of 22 Turkish soldiers killed on Thursday evening, thereby correcting earlier reports of nine soldiers killed.
Since the evening, Twitter and other social media in Turkey should no longer be accessible.
First reaction: According to government officials, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met government members and military officials for a crisis meeting on the situation in Idlib on Thursday evening. The largest opposition party, the CHP, is also said to have convened a meeting on Idlib.
In December in Idlib and neighboring provinces in northwestern Syria, with the support of Russia, the Syrian army has increasingly been taking action against Islamist and jihadist militias. Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad wants to bring the last militia stronghold in the country back under his control.
Turkey is on the side of Assad’s opponents. She calls for Syrian troops to withdraw behind Turkish military posts in the region by the end of the month.
