Assad

Turkish and U.S. officials met on Feb. 12 in the capital Ankara to discuss the latest developments in northwestern Syria.

Deputy Defense Minister Yunus Emre Karaosmanoğlu, U.S. special envoy for Syria James Jeffrey and U.S. ambassador to Turkey Michael Satterfield exchanged views on regional security issues, especially the situation in Idlib province.

U.S. warplanes carried out at least one airstrike in Syria's northeast Hasakah region after an incident at a checkpoint where U.S. soldiers killed one regime soldier, Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Feb. 12.

Anadolu Agency said that U.S. warplanes hit two of the Syrian regime's military bases in Hasakah.

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.

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli on Feb. 11 condemned an attack by the Syrian regime on Turkish troops in Idlib province of Syria and called on the Turkish government to reassess its relations with Russia, Damascus' main ally.

James Jeffrey, the U.S. special envoy for Syria engagement and fight against ISIL, will pay a visit to Turkey on Feb. 12 amid recent escalation in Syria's last rebel bastion of Idlib, a province in the country's northwest.

Delegations from Turkey and Russia will meet on Feb. 10 for a second time following a weekend session in the Turkish capital Ankara.

Turkish hosted a Russian delegation in the capital Ankara on Feb. 8 to discuss the escalating situation in Idlib, northwestern Syria.

According to diplomatic sources, the Turkish and Russia delegations held a three-hour meeting which stressed the need to ensure peace on the ground and discussed steps to boost political process.

Turkey will use its right of self-defense in the strongest manner if Turkey faces a new attack in Syria, the Defense Ministry said on Feb. 8.

"In the event of a new attack, the proper response will be given in the strongest manner based on the right of self-defense," the ministry said in a statement.

Turkey's presidential spokesperson İbrahim Kalın has said that changing borders of the Idlib de-escalation zone in northwestern Syria, as determined by Astana and Sochi agreements, is out of the question.

Speaking at a news conference on Feb. 6, Ibrahim Kalın said it is not possible for Turkey to accept any proposal of change regarding the de-escalation zone.       

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.