Turkey, Russia agree to reduce tensions in Idlib as migrants push west

Turkey and Russia have agreed to reduce tensions on the ground in Syria's Idlib province while continuing military action there, the Russian foreign ministry said on Feb. 29 following several days of talks in Ankara.

"Concrete steps to achieve lasting stability in the Idlib de-escalation zone were considered," the ministry said. "Both sides confirmed their goal to reduce tensions 'on the ground' while continuing the fight against terrorists."

The presidents of Turkey and Russia spoke by phone on Feb. 28 to try to defuse tensions that rose significantly in Syria after at least 33 Turkish troops were killed in an airstrike blamed on the Syrian regime, and a new wave of refugees and migrants headed for the Greek land and sea border after Turkey said it would no longer hold them back.

The attack on Feb. 27 marked the deadliest day for the Turkish military since Ankara first entered the Syrian conflict in 2016 and also was the most serious escalation between Turkish and Russian-backed Syrian forces, raising the prospect of an all-out war with millions of Syrian civilians trapped in the middle.

It was not clear whether Syrian or Russia jets carried out the strike, but Russia denied its aircraft were responsible.

Turkey's U.N. Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioğlu told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that the country "lost 34 soldiers'' higher than the 33 previously reported by Turkish officials and "a significant number'' were wounded.

"We have not identified the nationality of the aircraft which struck our convoy and positions,'' he said, but "the radar tracks demonstrate that [Syrian] regime and Russian aircrafts were in formation flight during that time.''

NATO envoys held emergency talks at the request of...