Syria regime forces surround Turkish army post: monitor

SYRIAN government forces surrounded a Turkish observation post in the northwest Friday after overrunning nearby areas, a war monitor said, while Ankara vowed not to withdraw from its position.

“Regime forces have surrounded the Turkish observation post in Morek after capturing other towns and villages in this pocket,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Speaking at a news conference in the Lebanese

capital, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said “our observation point there is not cut-off and nobody can isolate our forces and our soldiers.”

“We are there, not because we can’t leave but because we don’t want to leave,” he said, adding that the issue was being discussed with Damascus’ allies Russia and Iran.

The Syrian regime has upped the stakes with Ankara in its months-long Russian-backed offensive against the jihadist-ruled Idlib region, which borders Turkey.

Moscow said on Friday that it has agreed with Ankara to “activate mutual efforts” to ease the situation in Syria’s last major opposition bastion.

Turkey later announced that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would visit Moscow on Tuesday for talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, a meeting confirmed by the Kremlin.

The town of Morek, where the Turkish troops have allegedly been cut off, lies in the north of Hama province, part of the region centred on neighbouring Idlib province that has been under government assault -- initially by air -- since late April.

Government forces took control of Morek and nearby towns including Kafr Zita on Friday, Syrian state news agency SANA said.

Jihadists and allied rebels withdrew from the area ahead of the Syrian army’s entry into the strategic town of Khan Sheikhun on Wednesday and government forces took control without resistance, according to the Britainbased Observatory.

The Morek observation post, established under a deal with Moscow, is one of 12 the Turkish army set up along the front line between Syrian government forces on one side -- and the jihadists and Ankara’s rebel allies on the other side -- last year.

On Tuesday Cavusoglu vowed that the Turkish army “will do whatever is necessary” to defend these positions.