Turkey intervenes as tensions mount

Ankara has been working with Iran, Russia on bombing in Idlib area

Turkey on Wednesday warned Iran and Russia to hold back the Syrian regime in bombing the rebel- held northern Idlib province, as tensions mounted ahead of mooted peace talks later this month.

Ankara, the AFP stated, has been working closely with Russia and Iran to end the Syrian conflict over the last months, but has stepped up pressure on Moscow and Tehran as bombardments on Idlib intensified.

Russia wants to bring all the parties in the Syrian conflict together for a conference in its Black Sea resort of Sochi at the end of this month but the tensions with Ankara are proving a major obstacle.

“Iran and Russia should fulfill their responsibility. If you are guarantors; they should stop the regime,” Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told the official Anadolu news agency.

Cavusoglu was acting said Turkey as guarantor for the actions of the opposition and it was up to Russia and Iran to do the same for the government.

Ankara has supported the anti- Assad opposition throughout the almost seven- year Syrian civil war while Russia and Iran have backed Assad.

However, despite the differences, Turkey had teamed up with the two other powers in a bid to bring a lasting peace to Syria, even though analysts have long warned the three- way alliance is highly brittle.

In the biggest public flare- up of tensions with Moscow and Tehran in months, Ankara has already summoned the Russian and Iranian ambassadors over the Idlib bombing. Cavusoglu said 95 per cent of the violations in Idlib were carried out by the regime and groups backing it.

Idlib province is controlled by anti- government forces dominated by a jihadist outfit known as Hayat Tahrir al- Sham ( HTS) consisting of former fighters from the AlNusra Front, an al Qaeda affiliate.

Iran and Russia should fulfill their responsibility. If you are guarantors; they should stop the regime — Mevlut Cavusoglu,

Foreign Minister, Turkey