Idlib

Turkey shot down two Syrian warplanes over Idlib on March 1 and struck a military airport well beyond its frontlines in a sharp escalation of its military operations following the death of dozens of Turkish soldiers last week.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Ankara sought for the United States to send Patriot missiles to Turkey for back-up in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Feb. 29 that he had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin for Russia to step aside in Syria and leave Turkey to deal with Syrian regime forces alone.

Syrian regime's forces, backed by Russian air power, have waged a major assault to capture the northwest province of Idlib, the last remaining territory held by rebels backed by Turkey.

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.

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.

US President Donald Trump, in a call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, backed de-escalation of violence in northwestern Syria and called on the Syrian government, Russia and Iran to halt their offenses, the White House said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged a phone call on February 28 and agreed to meet in-person very soon and to discuss new measures to de-escalate tension in the Idlib province of Syria as the Syrian regime killed 33 Turkish troops in an attack.

An official said this in anticipation of a massive movement of refugees from the Syrian province of Idlib, where there are one million displaced people.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Feb. 27 reiterated his call for an "immediate ceasefire" in northwestern Syria following a deadly airstrike by Syrian regime forces on Turkish troops in Idlib province.

The latest situation in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib is in Turkey's favor, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Feb. 27, referring to advance of rebels into Saraqeb town near Aleppo.

"The developments in Idlib are now in favor [of Turkey]," he said speaking at a ceremony of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).