Idlib

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday a migrant crisis on its borders with Turkey was an "asymmetrical threat" to the borders of the European Union, noting that Greece and the European Union will not be blackmailed.

The Turkish Parliament is set to convene in a closed session to discuss the developments in Syria's northwestern Idlib province as the exchange of fire continues to escalate tensions between Ankara and Damascus.

The General Assembly will convene at 3.00 p.m. local time (1200GMT) for its usual weekly works which will be followed by the closed session.

The European Union's foreign policy and security high representative, Josep Borrell, and its commissioner for crisis management, Janez Lenarcic, will hold talks in Turkey after the Turkish government decided to open its borders to Europe to refugees late last week.

The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and crisis management commissioner Janez Lenarcic will pay a two-day visit to Ankara Tuesday for talks with senior Turkish officials on the ongoing escalation in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib and the humanitarian consequences for the civilian population on the ground, as well as the situation of Syrian refugees in Turkey.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on March 2 called for a "protected zone" in northwestern Syria for hundreds of thousands of civilians fleeing the attacks of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

Speaking at a news conference in the capital Berlin, Merkel expressed grave concern over escalating tensions in Idlib, a northwestern Syrian province, just across the Turkish border.

A Turkish soldier was killed in an attack by forces of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Idlib province, northwestern Syria, the Defense Ministry said on March 2.

The ministry announced in a tweet that Turkish soldiers who had been sent as reinforcements to Idlib to prevent conflicts had come under artillery fire from regime forces.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey had no intention of stopping migrant flows to the European Union warning that "millions" of people would soon head toward Europe.
"After we opened the doors, there were multiple calls saying 'close the doors'," Erdogan said in Ankara Monday according to reports.

"France is ready to offer assistance to protect EU borders" said French president Macron. With the worsening situation in the Syrian province of Idlib, Turkey says it will no longer be able to restrict migrant and refugee flows and open its borders with the EU.

The United States will dispatch two senior diplomats for talks with Turkish officials and to pay a visit to the Turkish southern provinces of Hatay and Gaziantep on the Syrian border amid the ongoing conflict between Turkey and the Syrian regime over Idlib province.

The United States dispatched two senior diplomats for talks with Turkish officials and to pay a visit to the Turkish southern provinces of Hatay and Gaziantep on the Syrian border amid the ongoing conflict between Turkey and the Syrian regime over Idlib province.