Intel: Five Turkish soldiers killed in Idlib amid Russian-Turkish de-escalation talks - Al-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Ezgi Akin

Ezgi Akin

Feb 10, 2020

NUR SULTAN, KAZAKHSTAN - AUGUST 02: Turkish committee under the presidency of Deputy Turkish Foreign Minister Sedat Onal meet Russian committee within the 13th guarantors meeting on Syria in Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan on August 02, 2019. (Photo by Aliia Raimbekova/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) — A Turkish delegation (L) led by Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal meet with Russian officials to discuss Syria, Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan, Aug. 2, 2019. — Aliia Raimbekova/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Five Turkish troops were killed and five wounded in shelling by the Russian-backed Syrian regime today as the Turkish and Russian delegations were in talks in Ankara to wind down the clashes in Idlib.

Why it matters: The escalation indicates the Russian-Turkish talks that began on Feb. 8 have failed to produce concrete results other than maintaining the appearance of cooperation.

Related Topics

Syria Conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan pose with documents during a signing ceremony ahead of a joint news conference following their meeting at the Mariyinsky Palace in Kiev, Ukraine February 3, 2020. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich - RC23TE9JIMSX

Intel: Erdogan accuses Russia of 'negligence' while signing military aid deal with Ukraine

Ezgi Akin

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Turkish military vehicles are pictured in the town of Binnish in Syrias northwestern province of Idlib, near the Syria-Turkey border on February 12, 2020. - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed de-escalation of the Syrian crisis, saying Russian-Turkish agreements should be implemented in full, the Kremlin said."The importance was noted of the full implementation of existing Russian-Turkish agreements," the Kremlin said in a statement after the Putin-Erdogan phon

What a Russian-Turkish compromise on Idlib may look like

Kirill Semenov

Kirill Semenov

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Istanbul, Turkey, January 24, 2020. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC2EME9CRYDD

Intel: What's behind Erdogan's latest threat of imminent attack in Syria

Amberin Zaman

Amberin Zaman

In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Syrian government forces deploy near the Damascus-Aleppo highway in the southern part of Syria's northern Aleppo province on February 10, 2020. - Syrian regime artillery killed five Turkish soldiers in Idlib today, Turkey's defence ministry said, as the number of people displaced by violence in the region neared 700,000 since December. (Photo by - / AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Clash with Syrian regime forces kills five Turkish troops in Idlib

Amberin Zaman

Amberin Zaman

In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture