Contents tagged with Syria

  • Russian military police enters strategic city in eastern Idlib

    Russian military police has been deployed to the city of Saraqib in the eastern part of Idlib province, reports RBC news agency with reference to the Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria.

    According to RBC, the police units entered the city at 17:00 Moscow time on March 2. This measure was taken "because of the importance of the city in ensuring the safety and unhindered movement of vehicles and civilians on the M4-M5 highways."

    The situation in Syria escalated in February after an …

  • Pro-Iranian militants fire ballistic missile at Turkish troops in Syria

    Pro-Iranian forces fighting alongside the Regime of Bashar al-Assad fired a ballistic missile at Turkish army positions in the northern province of Idlib, reported the Israeli news website Nziv, citing Syrian media.

    According to preliminary data, it is a medium-range missile identical to that used by the Yemeni Houthis against Saudi troops. The projectile was reportedly shot down by a missile defense system deployed on the Turkish-Syrian border.

    Earlier, the Turkish Air Force and ground …

  • Kremlin: Putin-Erdogan meeting in March will not be easy

    The meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan will not be easy, but both sides intend to keep a course on a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Syria, said Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Russian President. The Kremlin representative also commented on Erdogan's request to Russia to "step aside". He reminded that Russian forces are in the country at the invitation of Damascus.

    "Yes, in the middle of the week, March 5th or 6th, the …

  • Russia says it cannot guarantee safety of Turkish aircraft in Syria

    The Turkish side cannot count on the safety of its combat aviation in northern Syria, stated the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria, after Turkey shot down two Syrian fighter jets over Idlib.

    "The command of the Russian troops cannot guarantee the safety of Turkish aviation in the skies of Syria," the head of the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria, Rear Admiral Oleg Zhuravlev, said, as quoted by TASS.

    "Amid a sharply aggravated situation, the Syrian government closed the airspace in …

  • Turkish drone destroys Russian-made Pantsir air defense system in Idlib

    On Friday, a missile fired by a Turkish drone destroyed a Russian-made Pantsir-S1 deployed by the Syrian Army in Idlib province.

    A video released by Turkish media, shows an active Syrian Pantsir being destroyed by a Turkish drone.

    According to Turkish media, the Pantsir radar was active when it was hit, indicating that the system failed to detect the incoming missile.

    The Syrian Air Defense Force reportedly has more than 30 Pantsir systems. Russia has also strengthened its Syrian Khmeimim …

  • Merkel's party calls for sanctions against Russia over Syria

    Leading representatives of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for new sanctions against Russia due to its support for the regime in Damascus. Moscow is responsible for a new escalation of the refugee situation in Syria and Turkey, said German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Chairman of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee Norbert Röttgen in an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAS) published on Sunday, March 1. …

  • Turkey shots down two Syrian warplanes over Idlib

    Syria's news agency SANA reported that two Syrian aircraft were shot down by the Turkish military over Idlib province. The agency stated that the pilots managed to eject and were not hurt.

    Earlier, Turkish TV channels TRT and CNN Turk reported that of a Syrian government aircraft was shot down in the skies over Idlib. The latter claimed that the plane had been shot down by opposition forces controlling the city of Saraqib.

    There were also reports on Twitter that a Russian Su-24 had been shot …

  • Erdogan: Turkey has opened its border with EU to Syrian refugees

    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara is opening the border with Europe to refugees from Syria.

    "As of this morning, 18,000 migrants have crossed the Turkish-European border. And we will no longer close those doors, it will continue. We are not in a position to feed so many refugees," he said during his speech In Istanbul on Saturday, February 29, as cited by Anadolu.

    According to Erdogan, there are 3.7 million Syrian refugees in Turkey today.

    The day before, the …

  • Erdogan asks Putin to step aside in Syria

    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that during a telephone conversation he asked Russian President Vladimir Putin not to interfere in the conflict between the Turkish Armed Forces and Syrian troops.

    "I openly asked Putin, "What are you doing in Idlib? If you want to create a military base, then create one, but get out of Turkey’s way," Erdogan said on Saturday in Istanbul, as cited by Anadolu.

    According to Erdogan, the Turkish military in Syria is "at the invitation of the Syrian …

  • Turkey considers closing Bosporus strait to Russian ships

    The continuation of the conflict in Syria’s Idlib province, which remains in the hands of pro-Turkish forces and radical groups, could force Ankara to close the Bosporus strait to Russian naval vessels, said Muharrem Sarikaya, a correspondent for the Turkish TV channel Habertürk, citing his own sources in the country’s leadership. According to him, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has such options “on the table”. The Montreux Convention, which regulates ship traffic through the Bosporus …