Politics of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria

The Assad regime must fall back from Turkey's observation posts in northwestern Syria this month or Turkey will force the issue, said the Turkish president on Feb. 5.

"If the Syrian regime will not retreat from Turkish observation posts in Idlib in February, Turkey will be obliged to do so itself," Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told his party's lawmakers in parliament.

Turkey responded in kind to a regime attack against a Turkish army convoy in Syria's Idlib and would not tolerate any future Syrian attack on its troops, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Feb. 4, accusing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime of "increasing insolence."

Turkey will continue to retaliate against attacks on its forces in Syria's northwest Idlib region, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Feb. 3, after six Turkish soldiers were killed and seven others were wounded in Syrian government shelling.

"Turkey has responded in kind to the attack in Idlib, and will continue to do so," Erdoğan told reporters before departing for Ukraine.

Tod Wolters, commander of the U.S. European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander-Europe, visited Ankara on Jan. 30 for talks which primarily focused on Syria, diplomatic sources have told Hürriyet Daily News.

At least seven civilians were killed and 20 others injured in a car bombing in Syria's northwestern city of Azaz, Turkey's defense ministry said on Jan. 26.

The injured were transferred to a hospital.

U.S. soldiers present in regions of northern Syria under the YPG/PKK terror group's control stopped a Russian military convoy from reaching oil fields in Al-Hasakah province on Jan. 21.

The move comes amid an ongoing dispute between the U.S. and Russia over the Rumeylan oil field in northeast Al-Hasakah.

Syria children in an area of northern Syria cleared of terrorists by a Turkish-led operation are getting medical care at a Turkish-staffed hospital, according to the National Defense Ministry.

At least three Turkish soldiers were killed during an anti-terror operation in northern Syria, an official statement said on Jan. 6.

The soldiers were killed in a car bomb attack during a road control in the Operation Peace Spring zone, said the statement by Turkey's Defense Ministry.

The ministry extended condolences to the grieving families.

Turkish security forces have destroyed 891 mines and 1,660 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in northern Syria within the area of its latest anti-terror operation in the region, the National Defense Ministry said on Jan. 9.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss Syria and Libya, an official statement said on Jan. 6.

According to the statement issued by Turkey's Directorate of Communications, the two leaders also addressed the bilateral relations and regional developments.