Russia chides Turkey over Idlib — again
Russia's foreign minister has demanded Turkey end tensions in Syria's Idlib, indicating Russia will continue to use Idlib as a pressure point to keep Ankara in line.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called on Turkey to fulfill its responsibilities to end tensions in the rebel-held Syrian province of Idlib today, saying Ankara needed to distinguish between Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists and Syrian rebels. Lavrov’s comments, made during an official visit to Armenia, were seen as a fresh rebuke to Turkey over its reluctance to confront the militant opposition group known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which remains entrenched in Idlib and is led by former members of the al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone Sunday to discuss developments in Syria ahead of the Turkish leader’s Nov. 13 meeting in Washington with President Donald Trump.
