Turkish party asks Russia to compensate for Idlib attack

ANKARA

A Turkish party leader on Tuesday called on Russia, a close ally of the Syrian regime, to compensate Ankara for last week's attack on Turkish soldiers in Idlib.

Speaking to a parliamentary group of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in the capital Ankara, Devlet Bahceli said: "Russia should review its tyrannical politics and abide by the Astana and Sochi principles."

An attack by the Syrian regime on Feb. 27 martyred 34 Turkish soldiers in the Idlib escalation zone, just across Turkey's southern border.

The attack was a violation of the 2018 deal between Turkey and Russia in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited in Idlib.

Bahceli said that Russia should support Turkey in forming an 18-21-mile security zone along the Syrian border.

Referring to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's planned visit to Moscow on Thursday, he said a "compensation and apology" should be put on the agenda.

He went on to say that the regime forces should immediately retreat from Turkey's observation posts in Idlib without any preconditions.

Additionally, Ankara should jointly control the strategic M-4 and M-5 highways with Russia, he said.

Airstrikes and shelling by the regime and its allies have killed more than 1,800 civilians in Idlib since September 2018.

In recent months, nearly 1.7 million Syrians have moved near the Turkish border due to intense attacks by forces of the Assad regime and its allies.

On Sunday, Turkey announced a new offensive, Operation Spring Shield, in northwestern Syria to protect civilians from regime attacks.

Bahceli said Turkey should never make concessions to its rightful policy in Syria.

"The existence of Russia and Iran in Syria is illegitimate and it is, at the same time, absolutely against the international law," Bahceli said.

"I am warning! Turkey is not joking. The Idlib issue is directly related to the survival and protection of a homeland. Russia and Syria should not try Turkey's patience any more," he concluded.

The MHP is in an alliance with Turkey's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party.