US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Russia destroyed dozens of Turkish troops during its military operations in Syria, reports Middle East Monitor. As the journalist emphasizes, Pompeo’s words were the first direct accusation against Moscow about the death of the Turks from Washington – Ankara itself had previously stated that the Syrian troops inflicted an air strike during which its military was killed.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at a press conference in the State Department: Washington is convinced that Russia destroyed during its military operation in Syria Dozens Turkish military, reports Middle East Monitor with reference to news agencies. According to the publication, Pompeo stressed that the United States will continue to support Turkey as its NATO ally.
As noted in the MEMO material, during which particular incident the aforementioned Turkish military were destroyed, Pompeo did not specify. Meanwhile, the Secretary of State’s statements were Washington’s first direct accusation of Moscow about the death of the Turks, the author of the article writes.
At least 34 Turkish soldiers were killed in a Syrian province of Idlib last month during an airstrike that Ankara then claimed by Syrian government forces, said a MEMO journalist. The attack, which became the worst attack on Turkish troops in almost 30 years in a one-time loss, was delivered after the Syrian forces, with the support of Moscow, launched an operation to capture Idlib, the last “Rebel stronghold” in the country, he writes. To deter Syrian forces, Turkey was forced to launch a counterattack, the author notes.
The aggravation of the situation in Idlib not only provoked the exodus of almost a million refugees from the region, but also pushed Turkey and Russia, which support the warring parties in the Syrian conflict, to the brink of a direct conflict, the MEMO article says. Nevertheless, on March 5, Ankara and Moscow agreed on a truce, which so far “Generally respected”, noted in the article.
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