Russia not to allow attack on observation posts: Turkish FM

OSLO/ANKARA

Russia has assured Turkey that it will not allow the Bashar al-Assad regime to attack Turkish observation posts in northern Syria, said Turkish foreign minister on Friday.

Mevlut Cavusoglu was speaking at a round table meeting at Norwegian Institute of International Affairs as part of his official visit to Norway.

Underlining that the regime forces have “harassed” and did not directly target Turkish observation posts around Idlib, Cavusoglu said: “We have discussed this issue with Russian interlocutors in Moscow three days ago. We have no plans to withdraw our troops from these points.”

Continuing its violations of last year's cease-fire agreement, the Assad regime on Aug. 22 attacked a Turkish military observation post in northwestern Syria with harassment fire, officials told Anadolu Agency.

Cavusoglu warned that if the regime continues its attacks in Idlib, world may witness a worse humanitarian disaster than that in Aleppo.

“The international community is still quiet. We need to see the support of the international community. They must raise their voices, otherwise this will have direct consequences for Europe's security,” the Turkish foreign minister said.

Turkey and Russia agreed last September to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone where acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

Under the deal, opposition groups in Idlib would remain in areas where they were already present, while Russia and Turkey would carry out joint patrols in the area to prevent a resumption of fighting.

The Syrian regime and its allies, however, have consistently broken the terms of the cease-fire, launching frequent attacks inside the de-escalation zone.

The de-escalation zone is currently home to some 4 million civilians, including hundreds of thousands recently displaced by regime forces throughout the war-weary country.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million others displaced, according to UN officials.

- Turkey-Norway bilateral relations

Hailing the long-established tradition of consultation and cooperation between two countries, Cavusoglu said Turkey and Norway are two critical NATO partner countries.

In a Twitter post, the Turkish foreign minister said deep-rooted cooperation between Turkey and Norway are important for security and defense of NATO and Europe.

As part of his official visit, Cavusoglu also met with his Norwegian counterpart Ine Eriksen Soreide.

“Discussed our bilateral relations with Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide of Norway. Exchanged views on regional and international issues particularly fight against terrorism, NATO, Syria and Iran. Will further enhance our economic and trade relations,” Cavusoglu said.

He also visited Norway’s leading energy company Equinor, where he was briefed on the company’s natural gas exploration activities in Thrace. “Had a live chat with the group conducting activities in #Tekridağ and wished them success,” the foreign minister said.

Cavusoglu arrived in Norway’s capital Thursday for a two-day official visit at the invitation of his counterpart Ine Eriksen Soreide.

On Thursday, he met with Turkish citizens and businesspeople at the Turkish Embassy in Oslo.

He also attended a reception at the embassy to mark the 97th anniversary of Turkey's Victory Day on Aug. 30.

Cavusoglu also visited the Al-Noor Islamic Centre in Baerum, around 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Oslo, which was attacked by a 21-year-old gunman on Aug. 10.