US, Turkey re-evaluate situation in Idlib

The U.S. special envoy for Syria visited Turkey on Feb. 11 to re-evaluate the recent developments in the region.

Speaking to reporters at Ankara's Esenboğa International Airport, James Jeffrey said Turkey, as a NATO ally, encountered a great threat in Idlib, northwestern Syria, coming from the Assad regime and Russia.

Jeffrey said he came to Ankara to re-evaluate the situation with the Turkish government, adding that the U.S. will give as much as possible support to Turkey.

He also extended condolences to the country for the killed Turkish troops by the regime attacks in Idlib earlier on Feb. 11.

The Turkish troops are in Idlib as part of an anti-terror and peace mission.

Idlib has been a stronghold of the opposition and anti-government armed groups since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

In September 2018, Turkey and Russia agreed to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

But more than 1,800 civilians have been killed in attacks by the regime and Russian forces since then, flouting both the 2018 cease-fire and a new one that started on Jan. 12.

Accompanying Jeffrey, the ambassador's senior advisor Rich Outzen said the U.S. "strongly condemned the attacks of the Damascus regime."

Stressing the importance of solidarity, Outzen said his country will continue to be in close contact with Turkey.

"In Ankara, Ambassador Jeffrey will meet with senior Turkish officials to discuss the Assad regime's Russian-backed destabilizing military offensive in #Idlib and how we can work together toward a political solution to the Syrian Conflict," the U.S. Embassy in Turkey said on Twitter earlier.

"The destabilizing actions of Russia, the...