Turkey, Russia Standoff in Syria Endangers Millions of Refugees
Turkey dispatched a delegation to Moscow on Monday for another round of talks aimed at forging a cease-fire agreement in Syria, where relief agencies warn that a deadly vortex of proxy wars could cause the worst humanitarian disaster in the nine-year conflict.
At stake is control of Idlib province, a patch of land the size of Delaware that is the last stronghold of Turkish-backed rebels resisting the regime of President Bashar al Assad, which is backed by Russia.
The battle for Idlib represents a test for Turkey’s geopolitical gambit to reposition itself away from the U.S. and other allies in the North Atlantic military alliance, and closer to Russia, notably with the purchase of sophisticated Russian-made air-defense missiles—a deal which has upset the Pentagon.
Short of a solid truce and retreat of the Syrian army before the end of February, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to launch a full-blown attack on the Assad regime.
If there is no pullback, Turkey will “handle it,” Mr. Erdogan said Saturday.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/turkey-russia-standoff-in-syria-endangers-millions-of-refugees/ar-BB105Jc3?li=BBnb7Kz
Erdogan wants to bring back the Ottoman Empire I guess.
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