Turkish army chief, NATO commander talks on phone

ANKARA

Turkey’s army chief on Tuesday held a phone conversation with NATO’s top commander in Europe.

Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Guler and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) Gen. Tod D. Wolters discussed recent developments in Syria’s Idlib, the Turkish Armed Forces said on Twitter, without giving further details.

Turkey launched Operation Spring Shield on Feb. 27 after at least 34 Turkish soldiers were martyred in an Assad regime airstrike in Idlib province, and after repeated violations of previous cease-fires.

Under a 2018 deal with Russia, Turkish troops were in Idlib to protect civilians from attacks by the regime and terrorist groups.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday called on NATO members to show their solidarity with Turkey at this critical time.

Idlib is currently home to four million civilians, including hundreds of thousands displaced in recent years by regime forces throughout the war-torn country.

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