The United Nation's&nbsp;Security Council has called for an emergency session on Syria as tensions between Syrian and Turkish forces escalated. It&nbsp;comes as the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/several-civilians-killed-as-syrian-government-presses-idlib-offensive-274750">Syrian army advanced</a> into the strategic town of Saraqib in the rebel-held <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-backed-syrian-forces-gain-ground-in-idlib-269853">Idlib province</a>.

The town sits on a junction of two key roads&nbsp;which President Bashar al-Assad's government is seeking to retake to revive an economy ravaged by almost nine years of war. Syrian forces which are <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-planes-pound-idlib-as-offensive-escalates-turkey-france-call-for-de-escalation-270092">backed by Russia</a> continue to advance despite Turkey's warning.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/250000-migrants-fleeing-from-syrias-idlib-towards-turkey-tayyip-erdogan-271660">Turkey has chosen</a> to retaliate by sending reinforcements to the so-called de-escalation zone in Syria. Tensions had escalated between Ankara and Moscow after 8 Turkish soldiers were killed in shelling by Syrian forces.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/syrian-attack-in-idlib-kills-4-turkish-soldiers-278296">Syrian attack in Idlib kills 4 Turkish soldiers</a>

Meanwhile, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has warned Syria and Russia of retaliation if the fighting continues. The escalations have taken its toll on civilians. Hundreds of people have fled the besieged town of Saraqib on&nbsp;the Turkish border.

Fighting is not limited to rebel-held areas. According to reports, Syrian air defences intercepted missiles over Damascus. Missiles were fired at Syrian forces and Iranian militias.

The United Nation's Security Council has called for an emergency session on Syria as tensions between Syrian and Turkish forces escalated. It comes as the Syrian army advanced into the strategic town of Saraqib in the rebel-held Idlib province.

The United Nation's Security Council has called for an emergency session on Syria as tensions between Syrian and Turkish forces escalated. It comes as the Syrian army advanced into the strategic town of Saraqib in the rebel-held Idlib province. The town sits on a junction of two key roads which President Bashar al-Assad's government is seeking to retake to revive an economy ravaged by almost nine years of war. Syrian forces which are backed by Russia continue to advance despite Turkey's warning. Turkey has chosen to retaliate by sending reinforcements to the so-called de-escalation zone in Syria. Tensions had escalated between Ankara and Moscow after 8 Turkish soldiers were killed in shelling by Syrian forces. Also Read: Syrian attack in Idlib kills 4 Turkish soldiers Meanwhile, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has warned Syria and Russia of retaliation if the fighting continues. The escalations have taken its toll on civilians. Hundreds of people have fled the besieged town of Saraqib on the Turkish border. Fighting is not limited to rebel-held areas. According to reports, Syrian air defences intercepted missiles over Damascus. Missiles were fired at Syrian forces and Iranian militias.

Syrian army advances in Idlib as UN Security Council calls emergency meeting

Eastern military commander <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/libya-peace-summit-erdogan-of-turkey-says-that-haftars-aggressive-attitude-must-end-275303">Khalifa Haftar</a> is violating Libya's truce and so cannot be expected to respect the ceasefire called between his forces and pro-government troops, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.

Despite efforts by Turkey and Russia, Haftar abandoned talks on a ceasefire in Moscow earlier this month and his blockade of Libyan oilfields overshadowed a summit in Berlin last week aimed at shoring up a shaky truce. His Libyan National Army (LNA) aims to capture the capital, Tripoli, through the backing of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Russian mercenaries and African troops. Turkey meanwhile backs Fayez al-Serraj's internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA).

Speaking at Istanbul's Ataturk airport ahead of a visit to Algeria, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/80000-syrian-migrants-marching-to-turkey-says-recep-erdogan-269633">Erdogan </a>said Haftar's forces had repeatedly violated the ceasefire in Libya, adding that international support for the LNA was "spoiling" Haftar.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-says-turkey-will-increase-military-support-to-libya-if-necessary-269588">Erdogan says Turkey will increase military support to Libya if necessary</a>

<img alt="Libya Conflict exacerbated" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="632132db-b3bd-4608-bb5b-2f477c10cf15" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2898%29.jpg" /> 
[ Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (L), Libyan Crisis - Representative Image (C), Military Commander Khalia Haftar (R) (Courtesy: Reuters) ]

"First of all, Haftar is a putschist," Erdogan said. "At this point, we need to see clearly what Haftar's identity is. He is a man who has betrayed his superiors before as well. It is not possible to expect mercy and understanding from someone like this on the ceasefire," he added. 
"He's continuing attacks with all his resources. However, he will not be successful here."

Turkey has repeatedly said Haftar must choose a political solution to the conflict and urged foreign powers to press the commander into a truce. It has also sent military advisers and trainers to help the GNA fend off Haftar's assault on Tripoli.

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Biz, Suriye’de, Libya’da, Akdeniz’de macera peşinde değiliz. Hele hele emperyal heveslerimiz hiç yoktur. Gözümüz petrol ve para hırsıyla kör olmuş da değildir. 
 
Bizim tek amacımız, kendimizin ve kardeşlerimizin hakkını, hukukunu, geleceğini korumaktır. <a href="https://t.co/4Puot4D9jK">pic.twitter.com/4Puot4D9jK</a>
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) <a href="https://twitter.com/RTErdogan/status/1217083952290131968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Earlier this month, Erdogan made a twitter post, commenting on the situation in Libya.

The translation reads thusly: 'We are not in pursuit of adventure in Syria, Libya, and the Mediterranean. Especially, we have no imperial ambitions. Our eyes are not blinded by the ambition of oil and money. Our only aim is to protect ourselves and our brothers' right, law and future.' Ankara has said that it will abide by a United Nations arms embargo on Libya as long as the ceasefire is maintained, but it warned that it could also deploy troops if necessary.

In Berlin, foreign powers agreed to form a special committee made up of five military officials from each side to monitor the truce. But Erdogan said on Sunday he did not expect a result from that committee due to Haftar's stance. Libya has had no stable central authority since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi by NATO-backed rebels in 2011. It has had two rival governments, in the east and the west, for more than five years, with streets controlled by armed groups.

Foreign powers providing support to Haftar and the GNA has turned the conflict into a proxy war. More than 150,000 people have been displaced by the fighting for the capital. Several countries backing rival factions in Libya have violated an arms embargo which they had agreed to uphold a week ago at a summit in Berlin, the United Nations said on Saturday.

Eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar is violating Libya's truce and so cannot be expected to respect the ceasefire called between his forces and pro-government troops, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.

Eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar is violating Libya's truce and so cannot be expected to respect the ceasefire called between his forces and pro-government troops, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday. Despite efforts by Turkey and Russia, Haftar abandoned talks on a ceasefire in Moscow earlier this month and his blockade of Libyan oilfields overshadowed a summit in Berlin last week aimed at shoring up a shaky truce. His Libyan National Army (LNA) aims to capture the capital, Tripoli, through the backing of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Russian mercenaries and African troops. Turkey meanwhile backs Fayez al-Serraj's internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). Speaking at Istanbul's Ataturk airport ahead of a visit to Algeria, Erdogan said Haftar's forces had repeatedly violated the ceasefire in Libya, adding that international support for the LNA was "spoiling" Haftar. Also Read: Erdogan says Turkey will increase military support to Libya if necessary [ Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (L), Libyan Crisis - Representative Image (C), Military Commander Khalia Haftar (R) (Courtesy: Reuters) ] "First of all, Haftar is a putschist," Erdogan said. "At this point, we need to see clearly what Haftar's identity is. He is a man who has betrayed his superiors before as well. It is not possible to expect mercy and understanding from someone like this on the ceasefire," he added. "He's continuing attacks with all his resources. However, he will not be successful here." Turkey has repeatedly said Haftar must choose a political solution to the conflict and urged foreign powers to press the commander into a truce. It has also sent military advisers and trainers to help the GNA fend off Haftar's assault on Tripoli. Biz, Suriye’de, Libya’da, Akdeniz’de macera peşinde değiliz. Hele hele emperyal heveslerimiz hiç yoktur. Gözümüz petrol ve para hırsıyla kör olmuş da değildir. Bizim tek amacımız, kendimizin ve kardeşlerimizin hakkını, hukukunu, geleceğini korumaktır. pic.twitter.com/4Puot4D9jK — Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) January 14, 2020 × Earlier this month, Erdogan made a twitter post, commenting on the situation in Libya. The translation reads thusly: 'We are not in pursuit of adventure in Syria, Libya, and the Mediterranean. Especially, we have no imperial ambitions. Our eyes are not blinded by the ambition of oil and money. Our only aim is to protect ourselves and our brothers' right, law and future.' Ankara has said that it will abide by a United Nations arms embargo on Libya as long as the ceasefire is maintained, but it warned that it could also deploy troops if necessary. In Berlin, foreign powers agreed to form a special committee made up of five military officials from each side to monitor the truce. But Erdogan said on Sunday he did not expect a result from that committee due to Haftar's stance. Libya has had no stable central authority since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi by NATO-backed rebels in 2011. It has had two rival governments, in the east and the west, for more than five years, with streets controlled by armed groups. Foreign powers providing support to Haftar and the GNA has turned the conflict into a proxy war. More than 150,000 people have been displaced by the fighting for the capital. Several countries backing rival factions in Libya have violated an arms embargo which they had agreed to uphold a week ago at a summit in Berlin, the United Nations said on Saturday.

Erdogan states that Haftar cannot be expected to respect Libya truce

Turkish President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-ready-to-teach-a-lesson-to-haftar-if-libyan-forces-continue-attacks-274241">Tayyip&nbsp;Erdogan</a>&nbsp;has called on&nbsp;Europe&nbsp;to&nbsp;support&nbsp;its work in&nbsp;Libya, where it is providing military&nbsp;support&nbsp;to the internationally-recognized government if it wants to end the conflict there.

Erdogan&nbsp;made his remarks in a column published on the&nbsp;Politico&nbsp;website on Saturday, ahead of a summit in Berlin on Sunday that will try to stabilize the country.

At the meeting, Germany and the United Nations will push rival&nbsp;Libyan camps fighting over the capital, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-to-take-part-in-libya-peace-conference-in-germany-274938">Tripoli</a>, to agree to a truce and monitoring mechanism as first steps towards peace, diplomats and a draft communique said.

Turkey&nbsp;supports the government of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/general-haftar-ready-to-abide-by-ongoing-ceasefire-in-libya-germany-274749">Fayez al-Serraj</a> in Tripoli and describes Khalifa Haftar, who heads the eastern&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/libya-libyan-national-army-and-government-of-national-accord-blame-each-other-for-violating-ceasefire-273802">Libyan National Army</a> (LNA), as a coup plotter.

Watch:&nbsp;9 month long civil war comes to an end, Haftar Committed to Libya Ceasefire

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"Keeping in mind that&nbsp;Europe&nbsp;is less interested in providing military&nbsp;support&nbsp;to&nbsp;Libya, the obvious choice is to work with Turkey, which has already promised military assistance,"&nbsp;Erdogan&nbsp;wrote.

"We will train&nbsp;Libya's security forces and help them combat terrorism, human trafficking and other serious threats against international security," he added.

Sunday's summit will put pressure on Haftar and the LNA to halt a nine-month offensive against Tripoli after a week-long lull in fighting. But it will not try to broker power-sharing between the two sides, said diplomats briefed on preparations.

Haftar and Serraj are both due in Berlin along with&nbsp;Erdogan&nbsp;and the leaders of Russia, Egypt, and other Western and Arab powers.&nbsp;Libya&nbsp;has been in turmoil since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Erdogan&nbsp;said that if&nbsp;Libya's legitimate government were to fall Islamist militant groups such as Islamic State and Al Qaeda "will find a fertile ground to get back on their feet".

Haftar is backed by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Sudanese and Chadian fighters, and most recently Russian mercenaries. France has also given some&nbsp;support.

On the other side, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-lifts-ban-on-worlds-largest-encyclopedia-after-two-years-wikipedia-274791">Turkey</a> has&nbsp;supported Serraj by sending troops to balance out recent gains by Russian snipers. Hundreds of pro-Turkey fighters from Syria's war have also been deployed, diplomats say.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has called on Europe to support its work in Libya, where it is providing military support to the internationally-recognized government if it wants to end the conflict there.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has called on Europe to support its work in Libya, where it is providing military support to the internationally-recognized government if it wants to end the conflict there. Erdogan made his remarks in a column published on the Politico website on Saturday, ahead of a summit in Berlin on Sunday that will try to stabilize the country. At the meeting, Germany and the United Nations will push rival Libyan camps fighting over the capital, Tripoli, to agree to a truce and monitoring mechanism as first steps towards peace, diplomats and a draft communique said. Turkey supports the government of Fayez al-Serraj in Tripoli and describes Khalifa Haftar, who heads the eastern Libyan National Army (LNA), as a coup plotter. Watch: 9 month long civil war comes to an end, Haftar Committed to Libya Ceasefire × "Keeping in mind that Europe is less interested in providing military support to Libya, the obvious choice is to work with Turkey, which has already promised military assistance," Erdogan wrote. "We will train Libya's security forces and help them combat terrorism, human trafficking and other serious threats against international security," he added. Sunday's summit will put pressure on Haftar and the LNA to halt a nine-month offensive against Tripoli after a week-long lull in fighting. But it will not try to broker power-sharing between the two sides, said diplomats briefed on preparations. Haftar and Serraj are both due in Berlin along with Erdogan and the leaders of Russia, Egypt, and other Western and Arab powers. Libya has been in turmoil since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Erdogan said that if Libya's legitimate government were to fall Islamist militant groups such as Islamic State and Al Qaeda "will find a fertile ground to get back on their feet". Haftar is backed by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Sudanese and Chadian fighters, and most recently Russian mercenaries. France has also given some support. On the other side, Turkey has supported Serraj by sending troops to balance out recent gains by Russian snipers. Hundreds of pro-Turkey fighters from Syria's war have also been deployed, diplomats say.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls on Europe to support Turkey's moves in Libya

Turkey will not refrain from "teaching a lesson" to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-asks-russia-to-get-libyan-general-to-accept-truce-273642">Khalifa Haftar</a> if his eastern Libyan forces continue attacks against the country's internationally recognized government, President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/libya-and-iran-top-agenda-in-merkel-putin-meeting-273573">Tayyip Erdogan</a> said on Tuesday.

He said Haftar had "run away" from Moscow after Monday's peace talks between him and the head of the Tripoli-based government, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-libyas-haftar-left-moscow-without-signing-ceasefire-deal-274174">Fayez al-Serraj</a>, failed to lead to an open-ended ceasefire to end their nine-month conflict.

Watch:&nbsp;Libya: Forces Loyal to General Haftar Announce Ceasefire

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"If the putschist Haftar's attacks against the people and legitimate government of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-russia-want-to-safeguard-iran-nuclear-deal-macron-274067">Libya</a> continue, we will never refrain from teaching him the lesson he deserves," Erdogan said in a speech to his AK Party lawmakers in parliament.

"It is our duty to protect our kin in Libya," Erdogan added, saying that Turkey had deep historical and social ties with the north African country and that Haftar would have taken over the entire nation if Ankara had not intervened.

He said Turkey will join Germany, Britain, and Russia at a summit which Chancellor <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/i-have-not-heard-about-any-pressure-from-china-merkel-on-huaweis-5g-rollout-in-germany-269201">Angela Merkel</a> is to host in Berlin on Sunday to discuss Libya, which has been mired in chaos since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Serraj signed the ceasefire agreement but Haftar left Moscow without signing the accord, the TASS news agency cited the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying on Tuesday.

Turkey will not refrain from "teaching a lesson" to Khalifa Haftar if his eastern Libyan forces continue attacks against the country's internationally recognized government, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.

Turkey will not refrain from "teaching a lesson" to Khalifa Haftar if his eastern Libyan forces continue attacks against the country's internationally recognized government, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday. He said Haftar had "run away" from Moscow after Monday's peace talks between him and the head of the Tripoli-based government, Fayez al-Serraj, failed to lead to an open-ended ceasefire to end their nine-month conflict. Watch: Libya: Forces Loyal to General Haftar Announce Ceasefire × "If the putschist Haftar's attacks against the people and legitimate government of Libya continue, we will never refrain from teaching him the lesson he deserves," Erdogan said in a speech to his AK Party lawmakers in parliament. "It is our duty to protect our kin in Libya," Erdogan added, saying that Turkey had deep historical and social ties with the north African country and that Haftar would have taken over the entire nation if Ankara had not intervened. He said Turkey will join Germany, Britain, and Russia at a summit which Chancellor Angela Merkel is to host in Berlin on Sunday to discuss Libya, which has been mired in chaos since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Serraj signed the ceasefire agreement but Haftar left Moscow without signing the accord, the TASS news agency cited the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying on Tuesday.

Turkey ready to 'teach a lesson' to Haftar if Libyan forces continue attacks

Turkish&nbsp;Foreign Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-says-turkey-will-increase-military-support-to-libya-if-necessary-269588">Mevlut Cavusoglu</a> said on Monday that Turkey will put in efforts to de-escalate tensions between Iran and the United States and had been in contact with both parties after the US forces&nbsp;killed the Iranian military commander the previous week.

Since the US&nbsp;killing of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-reaches-out-to-countries-in-west-asia-amid-us-iran-tensions-272367">Qasem Soleimani</a>, Tehran's most prominent military commander, Cavusoglu said he has held phone calls with his Iranian and US&nbsp;counterparts to discuss it.

Asked if Turkey would be open to mediate between Tehran and Washington, Cavusoglu said Turkey would support any steps to ease tensions in the region. "We will continue to work with other countries to solve this problem or de-escalate tensions in the coming days," he said.

The issue of Iran-US&nbsp;tensions would be on the agenda during Russian President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/the-killing-of-qasem-soleimani-violates-international-law-272517">Vladimir Putin's</a> visit to Turkey on Wednesday, he said, adding President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-to-back-libya-deployment-bill-but-troops-unlikely-for-now-271717">Tayyip Erdogan</a> had discussed the issue with Iranian, French, Iraqi and Qatari counterparts.

"Our common concern is Iraq turning into a conflict zone for other, third-party countries. This is a very serious risk for Iraq and our region," Cavusoglu said. "Therefore, we will continue to do whatever we can to reduce the cycle of violence."

The United States last week killed Soleimani, the architect of Iran's growing influence in the Middle East, in an overnight attack in Baghdad authorized by President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-updates-on-iran-general-qassem-soleimanis-death-272457">Donald Trump</a>.

Watch:&nbsp;Boris Johnson urges Trump to de-escalate tension with Iran

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Iran has promised vengeance and on Friday condemned Trump as a "terrorist in a suit."

Iraq's parliament called on Sunday for the US&nbsp;and other foreign military forces to leave amid a growing backlash against the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/should-iran-strike-us-will-quickly-strike-back-says-trump-272374">Soleimani's killing</a>, which has heightened fears of a wider Middle East conflict.

Cavusoglu said the parliament's decision was not binding, adding that Erdogan had urged his Iraqi counterpart to act with reason.

"The killing of Soleimani didn't just shift the balances in Iraq, it also did so in Iran. This may lead to radical groups gaining strength," he said.

Cavusoglu said he had also discussed the issue with his Russian, British, Qatari and Pakistani counterparts, and with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday that Turkey will put in efforts to de-escalate tensions between Iran and the United States and had been in contact with both parties after the US forces killed the Iranian military commander the previous week.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday that Turkey will put in efforts to de-escalate tensions between Iran and the United States and had been in contact with both parties after the US forces killed the Iranian military commander the previous week. Since the US killing of Qasem Soleimani, Tehran's most prominent military commander, Cavusoglu said he has held phone calls with his Iranian and US counterparts to discuss it. Asked if Turkey would be open to mediate between Tehran and Washington, Cavusoglu said Turkey would support any steps to ease tensions in the region. "We will continue to work with other countries to solve this problem or de-escalate tensions in the coming days," he said. The issue of Iran-US tensions would be on the agenda during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Turkey on Wednesday, he said, adding President Tayyip Erdogan had discussed the issue with Iranian, French, Iraqi and Qatari counterparts. "Our common concern is Iraq turning into a conflict zone for other, third-party countries. This is a very serious risk for Iraq and our region," Cavusoglu said. "Therefore, we will continue to do whatever we can to reduce the cycle of violence." The United States last week killed Soleimani, the architect of Iran's growing influence in the Middle East, in an overnight attack in Baghdad authorized by President Donald Trump. Watch: Boris Johnson urges Trump to de-escalate tension with Iran × Iran has promised vengeance and on Friday condemned Trump as a "terrorist in a suit." Iraq's parliament called on Sunday for the US and other foreign military forces to leave amid a growing backlash against the Soleimani's killing, which has heightened fears of a wider Middle East conflict. Cavusoglu said the parliament's decision was not binding, adding that Erdogan had urged his Iraqi counterpart to act with reason. "The killing of Soleimani didn't just shift the balances in Iraq, it also did so in Iran. This may lead to radical groups gaining strength," he said. Cavusoglu said he had also discussed the issue with his Russian, British, Qatari and Pakistani counterparts, and with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu: Turkey in touch to ease tensions between with Iran and US

Libyan National Army commander Khalifa Haftar said on January 3 a national war was being fuelled in his country by Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan, who he called a "deranged Turkish sultan". #WION #Libya #KhalifaHaftar

Libya: Militia group issues call to Jihad

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday (January 2) that up to 250,000 migrants were fleeing from the northwestern Syrian region of Idlib towards Turkey, adding that Ankara was trying to prevent them from crossing its border.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-says-2-3-million-syrian-refugees-in-turkey-europe-can-be-resettled-in-safe-zone-250434">Erdogan says 2-3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, Europe can be resettled in 'safe zone'</a>

Turkey hosts some 3.7 million Syrian refugees, the largest refugee population in the world. It fears a new wave from Idlib, where up to 3 million Syrians live in the last rebel-held swathe of territory after Russian and Syrian government forces last month intensified their bombardment of targets in the region.

Watch:&nbsp;

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"Right now, 200,000 to 250,000 migrants are moving towards our borders. We are trying to prevent them with some measures, but it's not easy," Erdogan told a conference in Ankara.

The United Nations last week said 235,000 civilians had fled their homes in just two weeks between Dec 12 and 25.&nbsp;

The Russian-led campaign that started in April 2019 had already forced at least 500,000 people to leave for areas closer to the border with Turkey, which Russian jets rarely hit.

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday (January 2) that up to 250,000 migrants were fleeing from the northwestern Syrian region of Idlib towards Turkey, adding that Ankara was trying to prevent them from crossing its border.

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday (January 2) that up to 250,000 migrants were fleeing from the northwestern Syrian region of Idlib towards Turkey, adding that Ankara was trying to prevent them from crossing its border. Also read: Erdogan says 2-3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, Europe can be resettled in 'safe zone' Turkey hosts some 3.7 million Syrian refugees, the largest refugee population in the world. It fears a new wave from Idlib, where up to 3 million Syrians live in the last rebel-held swathe of territory after Russian and Syrian government forces last month intensified their bombardment of targets in the region. Watch: "Right now, 200,000 to 250,000 migrants are moving towards our borders. We are trying to prevent them with some measures, but it's not easy," Erdogan told a conference in Ankara. The United Nations last week said 235,000 civilians had fled their homes in just two weeks between Dec 12 and 25. The Russian-led campaign that started in April 2019 had already forced at least 500,000 people to leave for areas closer to the border with Turkey, which Russian jets rarely hit.

250,000 migrants fleeing from Syria's Idlib towards Turkey: Tayyip Erdogan

Hosting a&nbsp;summit&nbsp;of&nbsp;Muslim&nbsp;leaders,&nbsp;Malaysia's Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/malaysian-pm-mahathir-mohamad-suggests-he-could-stay-in-office-beyond-2020-268284/amp">Mahathir Mohamad</a> bemoaned the state of Islam and defended the meeting that has been&nbsp;shunned&nbsp;by&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia and criticised for undermining the bigger Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

Divisions in the&nbsp;Muslim&nbsp;world were self-evident as only about 20 countries sent leaders, or delegations to the Kuala Lumpur&nbsp;summit, though all 57 members of the&nbsp;OIC&nbsp;had been invited.

The&nbsp;Saudi King's refusal to attend and the late <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-imran-khan-cancels-malaysia-summit-under-saudi-diplomatic-pressure-268893">withdrawal of Pakistan</a> from the event had left the hosts scrambling to soothe sensitive relations.

In welcoming remarks, Mahathir said the Kuala Lumpur&nbsp;Summit&nbsp;was meant to understand why Islam, the&nbsp;Muslims and their countries were "in a state of crisis, helpless and unworthy of this great religion".

It was unclear to what extent the leaders would discuss major geopolitical crises afflicting the&nbsp;Muslim&nbsp;world, ranging from the age-old disputes in the Middle East and Kashmir to the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, through to the plight of Rohingya&nbsp;Muslims in Myanmar and the alleged persecution of Uighur&nbsp;Muslims in China's Xinjiang region.

Mahathir said the&nbsp;summit, which will end on Saturday, should address the world's perceptions of Islam, the rise of Islamophobia, the decline of the Islamic civilisation and reforms in governance needed by&nbsp;Muslim&nbsp;nations.

"We are not discriminating or isolating anyone," he said in his welcome speech, watched on by leaders including Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamid Al-Thani.

"We are attempting to start small and if these ideas, proposals and solutions are acceptable and proved workable, then we hope to take it up to the larger platform for consideration."

Turkey's President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-says-turkey-to-boost-cooperation-with-libya-reports-268975">Tayyip Erdogan</a> struck a similar tone.

"We will have the opportunity to talk freely about our issues, from Islamophobia to terrorism, divisions, internal fights ravaging our region, and sectarian and ethnic conflicts,” Erdogan told the&nbsp;summit.

The&nbsp;OIC&nbsp;had said it was against the interests of the Islamic community to convene meetings outside the&nbsp;Saudi-based organisation, which has for decades acted as the collective voice of the&nbsp;Muslim&nbsp;world.

Both Mahathir and Erdogan have been frustrated by the&nbsp;OIC's past record of hand-wringing and failure to take firm action in support of&nbsp;Muslim&nbsp;causes.

Without mentioning the&nbsp;OIC&nbsp;by name, Erdogan said the biggest problem that platforms bringing the Islamic world together faced was a lack of implementation.

"If we still haven't made any progress regarding the Palestinian cause, if we still can't stop the exploitation of our resources, if we still can't say "stop" to the fragmentation of the&nbsp;Muslim&nbsp;world over sectarianism, that's why.”

Some analysts also suspected that&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia's reluctance to attend stemmed from the fear of being diplomatically isolated by regional rivals Iran, Qatar and Turkey, all of whom are attending the&nbsp;summit.

Worried about taking sides, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan opted to stay away from the Kuala Lumpur&nbsp;summit.

Also Watch:&nbsp;Kuala Lumpur Summit &amp; The Race For Supremacy In Muslim World

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"Pakistan wants to become part of the solution and not part of the problem," Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan told reporters in Islamabad.

Hosting a summit of Muslim leaders, Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad bemoaned the state of Islam and defended the meeting that has been shunned by Saudi Arabia and criticised for undermining the bigger Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

Hosting a summit of Muslim leaders, Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad bemoaned the state of Islam and defended the meeting that has been shunned by Saudi Arabia and criticised for undermining the bigger Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Divisions in the Muslim world were self-evident as only about 20 countries sent leaders, or delegations to the Kuala Lumpur summit, though all 57 members of the OIC had been invited. The Saudi King's refusal to attend and the late withdrawal of Pakistan from the event had left the hosts scrambling to soothe sensitive relations. In welcoming remarks, Mahathir said the Kuala Lumpur Summit was meant to understand why Islam, the Muslims and their countries were "in a state of crisis, helpless and unworthy of this great religion". It was unclear to what extent the leaders would discuss major geopolitical crises afflicting the Muslim world, ranging from the age-old disputes in the Middle East and Kashmir to the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, through to the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and the alleged persecution of Uighur Muslims in China's Xinjiang region. Mahathir said the summit, which will end on Saturday, should address the world's perceptions of Islam, the rise of Islamophobia, the decline of the Islamic civilisation and reforms in governance needed by Muslim nations. "We are not discriminating or isolating anyone," he said in his welcome speech, watched on by leaders including Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamid Al-Thani. "We are attempting to start small and if these ideas, proposals and solutions are acceptable and proved workable, then we hope to take it up to the larger platform for consideration." Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan struck a similar tone. "We will have the opportunity to talk freely about our issues, from Islamophobia to terrorism, divisions, internal fights ravaging our region, and sectarian and ethnic conflicts,” Erdogan told the summit. The OIC had said it was against the interests of the Islamic community to convene meetings outside the Saudi-based organisation, which has for decades acted as the collective voice of the Muslim world. Both Mahathir and Erdogan have been frustrated by the OIC's past record of hand-wringing and failure to take firm action in support of Muslim causes. Without mentioning the OIC by name, Erdogan said the biggest problem that platforms bringing the Islamic world together faced was a lack of implementation. "If we still haven't made any progress regarding the Palestinian cause, if we still can't stop the exploitation of our resources, if we still can't say "stop" to the fragmentation of the Muslim world over sectarianism, that's why.” Some analysts also suspected that Saudi Arabia's reluctance to attend stemmed from the fear of being diplomatically isolated by regional rivals Iran, Qatar and Turkey, all of whom are attending the summit. Worried about taking sides, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan opted to stay away from the Kuala Lumpur summit. Also Watch: Kuala Lumpur Summit & The Race For Supremacy In Muslim World × "Pakistan wants to become part of the solution and not part of the problem," Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan told reporters in Islamabad.

Malaysia defends Muslim summit shunned by Saudi, slammed by OIC

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/turkey-and-china-tie-themselves-in-knots-over-syria-and-xinjiang-257735">Turkey</a>&nbsp;said on Wednesday it would&nbsp;retaliate&nbsp;against&nbsp;any&nbsp;US&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;over its purchase of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/russia-turkey-may-sign-new-contract-on-s-400-systems-in-2020-ria-264578">Russian defence systems</a>, adding that with Britain it had agreed to speed up a joint fighter jet programme to meet Turkish defence needs.

US&nbsp;lawmakers will&nbsp;vote and likely pass a defence bill later on Wednesday that calls for&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;against&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;over Ankara's decision to procure the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/first-part-of-russian-s-400-missile-defence-system-delivered-turkey-235249">S-400</a> defences.

Turkey&nbsp;and the United States,<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/nato-meeting-solidarity-reinforced-despite-uncomfortable-time-for-alliance-to-be-in-the-spotlight-266584"> NATO</a> allies, have been at odds over the purchase.

Washington&nbsp;says&nbsp;the S-400s pose a threat to its F-35 fighter jets and cannot be integrated into NATO defences. In response, it has suspended&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-still-committed-to-purchasing-us-f-35-fighters-foreign-minister-246735">F-35</a> jet programme, where it was a manufacturer and buyer, and threatened&nbsp;sanctions.

In an interview with Turkish broadcaster A Haber, Foreign Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-threatens-new-syria-operations-directs-us-russia-to-fulfill-agreement-263046">Mevlut Cavusoglu</a> said&nbsp;any&nbsp;US&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;would harm&nbsp;US-Turkish ties and repeated a threat of retaliation.

"US&nbsp;lawmakers must understand they will get nowhere with impositions. If the United States approaches us positively, we will also react positively. But, if they take negative towards us, then we will&nbsp;retaliate&nbsp;these," Cavusoglu said.

Ties between Ankara and Washington have been strained over a host of issues&nbsp;in recent years.&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;has been engaged with the&nbsp;US&nbsp;support for the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which Cavusoglu called the "financing of terrorism" on Wednesday.

He added that&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;was open to alternatives to buying the F-35 jets, including from Russia. He said President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-biggest-jailer-of-journalists-turkey-second-worst-report-267594">Tayyip Erdogan</a> and British Prime Minister<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/uk-elections-2019-boris-johnson-going-all-out-to-impress-voters-267573"> Boris Johnson </a>had discussed speeding up work on the TF-X joint fighter jet project to meet&nbsp;Turkey's defence needs.

"We bought the S-400s because the most suitable offer for air defence systems came from Russia. Until we produce it ourselves, the alternative to the F-35 could be the Russian market, but we are open to other alternatives too," Cavusoglu said.

Turkey&nbsp;and Britain agreed a 100 million pound ($133 million) deal in 2017 to develop Turkish fighter jets, and&nbsp;Turkey's Kale Group said it was setting up a joint venture with Rolls-Royce to work on the project. In March Rolls-Royce said it had scaled back efforts to join the programme.

A Turkish source said the disagreement with Rolls-Royce stemmed from licensing issues, which are "critical and indispensable" for&nbsp;Turkey. But the source said talks had been revived and added&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;expected the project to advance after a solution was reached.

Turkey said on Wednesday it would retaliate against any US sanctions over its purchase of Russian defence systems, adding that with Britain it had agreed to speed up a joint fighter jet programme to meet Turkish defence needs.

Turkey said on Wednesday it would retaliate against any US sanctions over its purchase of Russian defence systems, adding that with Britain it had agreed to speed up a joint fighter jet programme to meet Turkish defence needs. US lawmakers will vote and likely pass a defence bill later on Wednesday that calls for sanctions against Turkey over Ankara's decision to procure the S-400 defences. Turkey and the United States, NATO allies, have been at odds over the purchase. Washington says the S-400s pose a threat to its F-35 fighter jets and cannot be integrated into NATO defences. In response, it has suspended Turkey from the F-35 jet programme, where it was a manufacturer and buyer, and threatened sanctions. In an interview with Turkish broadcaster A Haber, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said any US sanctions would harm US-Turkish ties and repeated a threat of retaliation. "US lawmakers must understand they will get nowhere with impositions. If the United States approaches us positively, we will also react positively. But, if they take negative towards us, then we will retaliate these," Cavusoglu said. Ties between Ankara and Washington have been strained over a host of issues in recent years. Turkey has been engaged with the US support for the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which Cavusoglu called the "financing of terrorism" on Wednesday. He added that Turkey was open to alternatives to buying the F-35 jets, including from Russia. He said President Tayyip Erdogan and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had discussed speeding up work on the TF-X joint fighter jet project to meet Turkey's defence needs. "We bought the S-400s because the most suitable offer for air defence systems came from Russia. Until we produce it ourselves, the alternative to the F-35 could be the Russian market, but we are open to other alternatives too," Cavusoglu said. Turkey and Britain agreed a 100 million pound ($133 million) deal in 2017 to develop Turkish fighter jets, and Turkey's Kale Group said it was setting up a joint venture with Rolls-Royce to work on the project. In March Rolls-Royce said it had scaled back efforts to join the programme. A Turkish source said the disagreement with Rolls-Royce stemmed from licensing issues, which are "critical and indispensable" for Turkey. But the source said talks had been revived and added Turkey expected the project to advance after a solution was reached.

Turkey says will retaliate against any sanctions ahead of US vote

Russian forces have entered Raqqa, the former de facto capital of the Islamic State caliphate, in one of the starkest examples yet of how Moscow has filled the vacuum created by President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/global-stocks-rattled-after-donald-trump-says-no-deadline-on-us-china-trade-deal-266025">Donald Trump</a>'s decision to pull US&nbsp;forces from northern Syria.

Russian troops were shown in footage on the defence ministry's Zvezda TV channel shaking hands with Syrian children and unloading humanitarian aid bundles with the slogan "Russia is with you" from the back of trucks.

Raqqa was captured two years ago by US&nbsp;troops and their Kurdish-led Syrian allies in the biggest victory of Washington's campaign against Islamic State in Syria. But since Trump abruptly ordered a pull-out in October, Moscow has swiftly advanced into territory where US&nbsp;troops had operated.

Russia is a close battlefield ally of Syrian President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/efforts-to-return-syrias-bashar-al-assad-to-arab-fold-amount-to-hollow-victory-for-autocrats-186828">Bashar al-Assad</a>'s government, which was invited by the Kurds into territory they controlled after Trump pulled his forces out of the way of a Turkish assault against Kurdish-held areas.

Russian troops in Raqqa were handing out humanitarian aid and its military doctors were offering residents medical attention, Vladimir Varnavsky, a defence ministry official, was quoted as saying by RIA news agency.

"Work in the city to get rid of the rubble and clear the area (of bombs or mines) is not yet complete and there is a shortage of clean water, medicine, and food," he said.

Russia last month set up a helicopter base an airport in a northeastern Syrian city and also landed forces at a sprawling airbase in the region that had been vacated by US&nbsp;forces.

Russia and Turkey are carrying out joint patrols along Syria's northern border with Turkey as part of a deal struck between Russian President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/vladimir-putin-a-brief-profile-of-the-russian-president-728">Vladimir Putin</a> and his Turkish counterpart <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tayyip-erdogan-renews-syria-air-and-ground-operation-threat-253960">Tayyip Erdogan</a>.

After saying all US&nbsp;troops would leave northern Syria, Washington has left some behind for now at some bases but rolled back most of their operations.

&nbsp;

Russian forces have entered Raqqa, the former de facto capital of the Islamic State caliphate, in one of the starkest examples yet of how Moscow has filled the vacuum created by President Donald Trump's decision to pull US forces from northern Syria.

Russian forces have entered Raqqa, the former de facto capital of the Islamic State caliphate, in one of the starkest examples yet of how Moscow has filled the vacuum created by President Donald Trump's decision to pull US forces from northern Syria. Russian troops were shown in footage on the defence ministry's Zvezda TV channel shaking hands with Syrian children and unloading humanitarian aid bundles with the slogan "Russia is with you" from the back of trucks. Raqqa was captured two years ago by US troops and their Kurdish-led Syrian allies in the biggest victory of Washington's campaign against Islamic State in Syria. But since Trump abruptly ordered a pull-out in October, Moscow has swiftly advanced into territory where US troops had operated. Russia is a close battlefield ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government, which was invited by the Kurds into territory they controlled after Trump pulled his forces out of the way of a Turkish assault against Kurdish-held areas. Russian troops in Raqqa were handing out humanitarian aid and its military doctors were offering residents medical attention, Vladimir Varnavsky, a defence ministry official, was quoted as saying by RIA news agency. "Work in the city to get rid of the rubble and clear the area (of bombs or mines) is not yet complete and there is a shortage of clean water, medicine, and food," he said. Russia last month set up a helicopter base an airport in a northeastern Syrian city and also landed forces at a sprawling airbase in the region that had been vacated by US forces. Russia and Turkey are carrying out joint patrols along Syria's northern border with Turkey as part of a deal struck between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan. After saying all US troops would leave northern Syria, Washington has left some behind for now at some bases but rolled back most of their operations.

Russian forces enter former Islamic State stronghold in Syria after US pullback

Turkey plans to have its local-made fighter jet ready for flight in the next five to six years, President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-says-he-told-trump-turkey-will-not-give-up-russian-s-400s-263168">Tayyip Erdogan</a> said on Tuesday, amid an ongoing dispute with the United States over the purchase of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-may-suspend-training-of-turkish-pilots-for-f-35-jets-over-russia-missile-deal-222455">F-35 jets</a>.

Erdogan also said Turkey would invest in a facility that would allow the charging and filling of the detonators produced by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/lockheed-signs-pact-with-tata-to-make-f-16-planes-in-india-17014">F-16s</a> and armed unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones.

Turkey plans to have its local-made fighter jet ready for flight in the next five to six years, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday, amid an ongoing dispute with the United States over the purchase of F-35 jets.

Turkey plans to have its local-made fighter jet ready for flight in the next five to six years, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday, amid an ongoing dispute with the United States over the purchase of F-35 jets. Erdogan also said Turkey would invest in a facility that would allow the charging and filling of the detonators produced by F-16s and armed unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones.

Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey aims to have its own fighter jet in 5-6 years

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Wednesday and the two leaders reconfirmed they will meet in Washington on Nov. 13 at Trump's invitation, Turkish officials said.

Earlier this week, three Turkish officials had said Erdogan might call off the visit in protest of votes in the US&nbsp;House of Representatives to recognise mass killings of Armenians a century ago as genocide and to seek sanctions on Turkey.

However, officials on Wednesday said the visit would go ahead and that the two leaders had exchanged views on bilateral issues and regional developments during their phone call.

Turkish sources say Trump and Erdogan have a strong bond despite anger in Congress over Turkey's Syria offensive and its purchase of Russian air defences, and despite what Ankara sees as the US&nbsp;president's own erratic pronouncements.

Those personal ties could prove crucial, given NATO member Turkey's purchase of Moscow's S-400 missile defence system, which under US&nbsp;law should trigger sanctions.

Turkey has already been suspended from the F-35 fighter jet programme in which it was both joint producer and customer, and the offensive it launched against Kurdish forces in northeast Syria on Oct. 9 set the stage for further US&nbsp;retaliation.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday and the two leaders reconfirmed they will meet in Washington on Nov. 13 at Trump's invitation, Turkish officials said.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday and the two leaders reconfirmed they will meet in Washington on Nov. 13 at Trump's invitation, Turkish officials said. Earlier this week, three Turkish officials had said Erdogan might call off the visit in protest of votes in the US House of Representatives to recognise mass killings of Armenians a century ago as genocide and to seek sanctions on Turkey. However, officials on Wednesday said the visit would go ahead and that the two leaders had exchanged views on bilateral issues and regional developments during their phone call. Turkish sources say Trump and Erdogan have a strong bond despite anger in Congress over Turkey's Syria offensive and its purchase of Russian air defences, and despite what Ankara sees as the US president's own erratic pronouncements. Those personal ties could prove crucial, given NATO member Turkey's purchase of Moscow's S-400 missile defence system, which under US law should trigger sanctions. Turkey has already been suspended from the F-35 fighter jet programme in which it was both joint producer and customer, and the offensive it launched against Kurdish forces in northeast Syria on Oct. 9 set the stage for further US retaliation.

Turkey's Erdogan speaks with Trump, to visit Washington next week

Turkish police arrested 17 foreigners on Thursday suspected of ties to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/relatives-of-islamic-state-fighters-returning-home-could-commit-terror-attacks-russia-260579">Islamic State group</a>, state news agency Anadolu reported.&nbsp;

The 17, whose nationalities were not given, were arrested in Ankara and taken for interrogation by counter-terrorism officers, Anadolu said.

Turkey has highlighted its efforts to crack down on the Islamic State group (IS) following the assassination of its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi by the United States last week.&nbsp;

Turkish officials said they arrested Baghdadi's sister this week and announced they had been holding his wife since last year.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday that members of Baghdadi's entourage were seeking to enter Turkey and that several -- "close to double figures" -- had been arrested.

In the early years of the Syrian conflict when Turkey was keen to see the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad, it was accused of failing to prevent the passage of jihadists over its border.&nbsp;

That changed following a series of IS attacks within Turkey, and Ankara joined the US-led anti-IS coalition in 2015.&nbsp;

It has again been accused of undermining the battle against IS in recent weeks with its military offensive against Kurdish forces in northern Syria, who have been the key ground force against IS and were crucial to locating Baghdadi.

Turkish police arrested 17 foreigners on Thursday suspected of ties to the Islamic State group, state news agency Anadolu reported. The 17, whose nationalities were not given, were arrested in Ankara and taken for interrogation by counter-terrorism officers, Anadolu said.

Turkish police arrested 17 foreigners on Thursday suspected of ties to the Islamic State group, state news agency Anadolu reported. The 17, whose nationalities were not given, were arrested in Ankara and taken for interrogation by counter-terrorism officers, Anadolu said. Turkey has highlighted its efforts to crack down on the Islamic State group (IS) following the assassination of its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi by the United States last week. Turkish officials said they arrested Baghdadi's sister this week and announced they had been holding his wife since last year. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday that members of Baghdadi's entourage were seeking to enter Turkey and that several -- "close to double figures" -- had been arrested. In the early years of the Syrian conflict when Turkey was keen to see the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad, it was accused of failing to prevent the passage of jihadists over its border. That changed following a series of IS attacks within Turkey, and Ankara joined the US-led anti-IS coalition in 2015. It has again been accused of undermining the battle against IS in recent weeks with its military offensive against Kurdish forces in northern Syria, who have been the key ground force against IS and were crucial to locating Baghdadi.

Turkey arrests 17 on suspected Islamic State links

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday the United States was not fulfilling its pledge to remove a Kurdish militia from a Syrian border region and he will raise the issue <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkeys-erdogan-speaks-with-trump-to-visit-washington-next-week-260443">when he meets President Donald Trump next week</a>.

A month ago, Turkey launched a cross-border offensive with Syrian rebels against Kurdish YPG fighters and after seizing control of a 120 km swathe of territory reached a deal with the United States to keep them out of that area.

Erdogan is set to discuss the implementation of the agreement with Trump in Washington on November&nbsp;13 after confirming that the visit would go ahead following a phone call between the leaders overnight.

"While we hold these talks, those who promised us that the YPG...would withdraw from here within 120 hours have not achieved this," he told a news conference, referring to a deadline set in last month's agreement.

Turkish officials had previously said Erdogan might call off the US&nbsp;visit in protest at US.House of Representatives' votes to recognise mass killings of Armenians a century ago as genocide and to seek sanctions on Turkey.

After the deal with Washington, Ankara also reached an agreement with Moscow under which the YPG was to withdraw to a depth of 30 km along the entirety of the northeastern Syrian border with Turkey.

But Erdogan said this deal had also not been fulfilled, with YPG fighters still in the border strip, adding that he would hold talks with Putin soon on the issue.

Clashes&nbsp;in&nbsp;Syria

Speaking to reporters before leaving on a visit to Hungary, Erdogan said clashes in Syria were continuing, with 11 fighters from the Turkey-backed rebel Syrian National Army (SNA) killed on Thursday.

"These terrorists are attacking the SNA, and the SNA is retaliating in kind. There are 11 martyrs from the SNA this morning. Many more were killed on the other side," he said.

Under the two bilateral deals, Ankara stopped its offensive in return for the withdrawal of the YPG fighters. Turkish and Russian soldiers have so far held two joint patrols near the border to monitor implementation of their agreement.

Ankara considers the YPG a terrorist group because of its ties to militants who have fought an insurgency in southeast Turkey since 1984. US&nbsp;support for the YPG, which was a main ally in the fight against Islamic State, has infuriated Turkey.

Ankara began its offensive against the YPG after Trump announced an abrupt withdrawal of 1,000 US&nbsp;troops from northern Syria in early October. The US&nbsp;president has since said that some troops will continue to operate there.

Late on Wednesday, the commander of the YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces said the group was resuming work with the US-led coalition against Islamic State in Syria.

"As a result of series of meetings with Coalition leaders, #SDF is resuming its joint programme of work with the Coalition to combat #ISIS and securing the infrastructure of NE #Syria," Mazloum Kobani wrote on Twitter.

Turkish sources say Trump and Erdogan have a strong bond despite anger in Congress over Turkey's Syria offensive and its purchase of Russian air defences, and despite what Ankara sees as the US&nbsp;president's own erratic pronouncements.

Those personal ties could prove crucial, given NATO member Turkey's purchase of Moscow's S-400 missile defence system, which under US&nbsp;law should trigger sanctions.

Turkey has already been suspended from the F-35 fighter jet programme in which it was both joint producer and customer, and the offensive it launched against Kurdish forces in northeast Syria on October&nbsp;9 set the stage for further US&nbsp;retaliation.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday the United States was not fulfilling its pledge to remove a Kurdish militia from a Syrian border region and he will raise the issue when he meets President Donald Trump next week.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday the United States was not fulfilling its pledge to remove a Kurdish militia from a Syrian border region and he will raise the issue when he meets President Donald Trump next week. A month ago, Turkey launched a cross-border offensive with Syrian rebels against Kurdish YPG fighters and after seizing control of a 120 km swathe of territory reached a deal with the United States to keep them out of that area. Erdogan is set to discuss the implementation of the agreement with Trump in Washington on November 13 after confirming that the visit would go ahead following a phone call between the leaders overnight. "While we hold these talks, those who promised us that the YPG...would withdraw from here within 120 hours have not achieved this," he told a news conference, referring to a deadline set in last month's agreement. Turkish officials had previously said Erdogan might call off the US visit in protest at US.House of Representatives' votes to recognise mass killings of Armenians a century ago as genocide and to seek sanctions on Turkey. After the deal with Washington, Ankara also reached an agreement with Moscow under which the YPG was to withdraw to a depth of 30 km along the entirety of the northeastern Syrian border with Turkey. But Erdogan said this deal had also not been fulfilled, with YPG fighters still in the border strip, adding that he would hold talks with Putin soon on the issue. Clashes in Syria Speaking to reporters before leaving on a visit to Hungary, Erdogan said clashes in Syria were continuing, with 11 fighters from the Turkey-backed rebel Syrian National Army (SNA) killed on Thursday. "These terrorists are attacking the SNA, and the SNA is retaliating in kind. There are 11 martyrs from the SNA this morning. Many more were killed on the other side," he said. Under the two bilateral deals, Ankara stopped its offensive in return for the withdrawal of the YPG fighters. Turkish and Russian soldiers have so far held two joint patrols near the border to monitor implementation of their agreement. Ankara considers the YPG a terrorist group because of its ties to militants who have fought an insurgency in southeast Turkey since 1984. US support for the YPG, which was a main ally in the fight against Islamic State, has infuriated Turkey. Ankara began its offensive against the YPG after Trump announced an abrupt withdrawal of 1,000 US troops from northern Syria in early October. The US president has since said that some troops will continue to operate there. Late on Wednesday, the commander of the YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces said the group was resuming work with the US-led coalition against Islamic State in Syria. "As a result of series of meetings with Coalition leaders, #SDF is resuming its joint programme of work with the Coalition to combat #ISIS and securing the infrastructure of NE #Syria," Mazloum Kobani wrote on Twitter. Turkish sources say Trump and Erdogan have a strong bond despite anger in Congress over Turkey's Syria offensive and its purchase of Russian air defences, and despite what Ankara sees as the US president's own erratic pronouncements. Those personal ties could prove crucial, given NATO member Turkey's purchase of Moscow's S-400 missile defence system, which under US law should trigger sanctions. Turkey has already been suspended from the F-35 fighter jet programme in which it was both joint producer and customer, and the offensive it launched against Kurdish forces in northeast Syria on October 9 set the stage for further US retaliation.

Ahead of talks with Trump, Erdogan says United States not fulfilling Syria deal

A day after Turkish officials announced that they had captured sister of slain Islamic State leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/islamic-state-vows-revenge-against-united-states-for-killing-baghdadi-259266">Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi</a>, Turkey President Tayyip Erdogan said that his wife was also captured.

Turkey president in a speech at Ankara University said: "The United States said Baghdadi killed himself in a tunnel. They started a communication campaign about this but, I am announcing it here for the first time: We captured his wife and didn't make a fuss like them. Similarly, we also captured his sister and brother in law in Syria."

Turkey had said on Tuesday that its forces had captured <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-releases-baghdadi-raid-video-warns-of-likely-retribution-attack-258906">Bagdadi's sister Rasmiya Awad</a>, 65 along with five children during a raid near Azaz near the Syrian border town.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi blew himself up after US Delta Force commandos entered his hideout in northwestern Syria. The terrorist group confirmed his death in an audiotape posted online later.

US President Donald Trump who had announced the IS chief's death had said later that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s number one replacement was also killed by US troops. The US president had said that &nbsp;a "large number" of Islamic State terrorists were also killed in the raid.

Trump did not specify who he was referring to, but the United States government confirmed the killing of Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir, Islamic State spokesman and a high-ranking figure within the terror group. 
&nbsp;

A day after Turkish officials announced that they had captured sister of slain Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Turkey President Tayyip Erdogan said that his wife was also captured.

A day after Turkish officials announced that they had captured sister of slain Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Turkey President Tayyip Erdogan said that his wife was also captured. Turkey president in a speech at Ankara University said: "The United States said Baghdadi killed himself in a tunnel. They started a communication campaign about this but, I am announcing it here for the first time: We captured his wife and didn't make a fuss like them. Similarly, we also captured his sister and brother in law in Syria." Turkey had said on Tuesday that its forces had captured Bagdadi's sister Rasmiya Awad, 65 along with five children during a raid near Azaz near the Syrian border town. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi blew himself up after US Delta Force commandos entered his hideout in northwestern Syria. The terrorist group confirmed his death in an audiotape posted online later. US President Donald Trump who had announced the IS chief's death had said later that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s number one replacement was also killed by US troops. The US president had said that a "large number" of Islamic State terrorists were also killed in the raid. Trump did not specify who he was referring to, but the United States government confirmed the killing of Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir, Islamic State spokesman and a high-ranking figure within the terror group.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's wife captured: Erdogan

By Miles A Pomper

As the Syrian crisis pits Turkish troops against former US-allied Kurdish forces, Pentagon officials have been reviewing plans to remove 50 nuclear bombs stored at a US airbase in Turkey.

A congressional directive to the Pentagon to quickly assess alternative homes for the US. “Personnel and assets” currently stationed at Incirlik Air Base is part of a broader bipartisan bill, still being debated, that proposes sanctions against Turkey. President Donald Trump has been forced to issue public reassurances that the weapons are secure.

During the Cold War, the US stationed B-61 nuclear bombs in Turkey, among other NATO countries. Formally, the US-controlled the weapons during peacetime, but the host countries’ forces trained and equipped planes so they could drop the bombs with US support in the case of war. The idea was to deter Soviet ground forces and reassure US allies by making clear that the US would be willing to risk nuclear war to block a Soviet invasion of a country hosting the bombs.

In addition, in the years before the US developed intercontinental ballistic missiles, they presented a way for NATO to demonstrate it could act quickly to respond to a Soviet attack.

The 50 bombs still at Incirlik Air Base, in southern Turkey – and others in Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands – are the last nuclear remnants of that Cold War strategy. The US began pulling nuclear bombs out of NATO countries after the Cold War ended, and since 2000 has removed 40 bombs from Turkey.

Two decades ago, the Turkish Air Force stopped equipping its planes to drop B-61s. Now the bombs at Incirlik could only be used if US pilots first flew nuclear-weapon-capable planes there to load them up. The bombs were left in Turkey even after a 2016 coup attempt raised serious concerns about their safety. After that event, the US Defense and Energy departments began planning how to remove them – but didn’t actually bring them back to the US.

How secure are they?

US nuclear weapons are stored in hardened bunkers, protected by electronic systems and heavily armed US troops. The Pentagon has recently reinforced both of those methods of defence.

The bombs themselves also require 12-digit codes to activate them, However, those protections are only strong enough to delay unauthorised use, rather than actually prevent it. If those barriers were overcome, US forces could disable the weapons by destroying electrical components or detonating their chemical high explosive without causing a nuclear release. In the worst case, they could blow up the weapons or the facilities at Incirlik.

Still the US procedures are not designed to prevent skilled attacks or sabotage, especially from an ally. With enough time, Turkey could make use of the nuclear material – if not to detonate in an actual nuclear explosion, then to “release disastrous and deadly radiation.”

What’s wrong with removing them?

Taking the weapons out of Turkey carries some physical risks. The bombs aren’t terribly heavy – roughly 700 pounds each – but moving nuclear material requires significant security. In addition, the Turkish government would have to help – or at least not stand in the way – of landing transport planes or sending cargo convoys by land or sea.

The greater risks are likely to be political. Those concerns have discouraged previous US administrations from removing the bombs, even though Turkey’s defence community isn’t particularly interested in using them.

One US concern is that Turkey could perceive the move as a push away from NATO. That could lead to Turkey seeking closer ties with Russia.

In addition, pulling the nuclear weapons out of Turkey could prompt requests to remove other bombs from Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, where they are publicly unpopular.

A new worry just arose, when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently mused whether perhaps Turkey should leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and develop its own nuclear arsenal US officials have long feared that pulling the American nuclear bombs out could encourage Ergodan to try to turn that bluster into reality.

Unintentionally, Trump’s efforts to provide reassurance may have made this challenge more difficult. The presence of B-61s in the five countries is an open secret, confirmed by independent observers. But it has nonetheless been NATO policy not to acknowledge the deployments, giving local politicians and the US&nbsp;a shield from parliamentary and public oversight.

By publicly confirming that the weapons were in Turkey, Trump has raised the political stakes should he try to remove them, and made it more difficult for the United States and Turkey to strike a quiet deal to that effect.&nbsp; 
 
(Miles A Pomper is Senior Fellow, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Middlebury)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-us-has-nuclear-weapons-in-turkey-and-may-try-to-put-the-bombs-away-125477">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

By Miles A Pomper As the Syrian crisis pits Turkish troops against former US-allied Kurdish forces, Pentagon officials have been reviewing plans to remove 50 nuclear bombs stored at a US airbase in Turkey.

By Miles A Pomper As the Syrian crisis pits Turkish troops against former US-allied Kurdish forces, Pentagon officials have been reviewing plans to remove 50 nuclear bombs stored at a US airbase in Turkey. A congressional directive to the Pentagon to quickly assess alternative homes for the US. “Personnel and assets” currently stationed at Incirlik Air Base is part of a broader bipartisan bill, still being debated, that proposes sanctions against Turkey. President Donald Trump has been forced to issue public reassurances that the weapons are secure. During the Cold War, the US stationed B-61 nuclear bombs in Turkey, among other NATO countries. Formally, the US-controlled the weapons during peacetime, but the host countries’ forces trained and equipped planes so they could drop the bombs with US support in the case of war. The idea was to deter Soviet ground forces and reassure US allies by making clear that the US would be willing to risk nuclear war to block a Soviet invasion of a country hosting the bombs. In addition, in the years before the US developed intercontinental ballistic missiles, they presented a way for NATO to demonstrate it could act quickly to respond to a Soviet attack. The 50 bombs still at Incirlik Air Base, in southern Turkey – and others in Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands – are the last nuclear remnants of that Cold War strategy. The US began pulling nuclear bombs out of NATO countries after the Cold War ended, and since 2000 has removed 40 bombs from Turkey. Two decades ago, the Turkish Air Force stopped equipping its planes to drop B-61s. Now the bombs at Incirlik could only be used if US pilots first flew nuclear-weapon-capable planes there to load them up. The bombs were left in Turkey even after a 2016 coup attempt raised serious concerns about their safety. After that event, the US Defense and Energy departments began planning how to remove them – but didn’t actually bring them back to the US. How secure are they? US nuclear weapons are stored in hardened bunkers, protected by electronic systems and heavily armed US troops. The Pentagon has recently reinforced both of those methods of defence. The bombs themselves also require 12-digit codes to activate them, However, those protections are only strong enough to delay unauthorised use, rather than actually prevent it. If those barriers were overcome, US forces could disable the weapons by destroying electrical components or detonating their chemical high explosive without causing a nuclear release. In the worst case, they could blow up the weapons or the facilities at Incirlik. Still the US procedures are not designed to prevent skilled attacks or sabotage, especially from an ally. With enough time, Turkey could make use of the nuclear material – if not to detonate in an actual nuclear explosion, then to “release disastrous and deadly radiation.” What’s wrong with removing them? Taking the weapons out of Turkey carries some physical risks. The bombs aren’t terribly heavy – roughly 700 pounds each – but moving nuclear material requires significant security. In addition, the Turkish government would have to help – or at least not stand in the way – of landing transport planes or sending cargo convoys by land or sea. The greater risks are likely to be political. Those concerns have discouraged previous US administrations from removing the bombs, even though Turkey’s defence community isn’t particularly interested in using them. One US concern is that Turkey could perceive the move as a push away from NATO. That could lead to Turkey seeking closer ties with Russia. In addition, pulling the nuclear weapons out of Turkey could prompt requests to remove other bombs from Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, where they are publicly unpopular. A new worry just arose, when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently mused whether perhaps Turkey should leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and develop its own nuclear arsenal US officials have long feared that pulling the American nuclear bombs out could encourage Ergodan to try to turn that bluster into reality. Unintentionally, Trump’s efforts to provide reassurance may have made this challenge more difficult. The presence of B-61s in the five countries is an open secret, confirmed by independent observers. But it has nonetheless been NATO policy not to acknowledge the deployments, giving local politicians and the US a shield from parliamentary and public oversight. By publicly confirming that the weapons were in Turkey, Trump has raised the political stakes should he try to remove them, and made it more difficult for the United States and Turkey to strike a quiet deal to that effect. (Miles A Pomper is Senior Fellow, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Middlebury) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Why US has nuclear weapons in Turkey – and may try to put the bombs away

By Deina Abdelkader

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan isn’t limiting his assault on neighbouring Syria to attacking Kurdish troops that run the country’s northern region. He says the 3.6 million Syrians now living as war refugees in Turkey may also be returned “to their own homes” once northern Syria is wrenched from Kurdish control.

This could be an empty threat. After eight years of welcoming people fleeing Syria’s civil war, the Turkish public is beginning to turn against Syrian refugees. Erdogan may see anti-refugee rhetoric as a way to boost his popularity, which is slumping due to recession in Turkey and years of controversial power grabs.

But if the Turkish president does deport Syrian refugees, he won’t be sending them to a “safe zone,” as promised. These extremely vulnerable people would be deported into the lines of combat in this contested, oil-rich zone.

The forgotten half: Women Syrian refugees 
 
In my experience researching minorities at risk in the Middle East, governments dealing with mass migration often overlook the particular challenges facing the most vulnerable refugees: women, children and LGBTQ people.

The Syrian refugees in Turkey are majorly Sunni Muslim – the same faith that predominates in both Turkey and Syria. However, Syrians are ethnically and linguistically different than Turks.

Syrian refugees differ from the broader Turkish and Syrian public in another way, too: 75 per cent&nbsp;of them are women and children, according to the global nonprofit Migration Policy Institute. Between 2011 and 2017, more than 224,000 babies were born in Turkey to Syrian refugee families. Those children are now stateless, granted neither Turkish nor Syrian citizenship at birth.

Syrian women refugees suffer more discrimination and racism in Turkey than their male counterparts, research shows.

This is partially due to a big gap in Turkish language acquisition: 20 per cent of Syrian refugee women complained that lack of language causes exclusion and discrimination, UN&nbsp;survey data from 2016 shows, compared to 13 per cent&nbsp;of men.

Even so, 73 pere cent of Syrian refugee women told the UN&nbsp;that they feel safe in Turkey. That may be related to their resettlement in cities and towns across Turkey, primarily in Istanbul, where they usually live in poor neighbourhoods.

Those areas surely feel secure compared to war-torn Syria. They are safer, too, than refugee camps along the Turkish-Syrian border, where rape, human trafficking, prostitution and child marriages have all been reported, according to OBC Transeuropa, a think tank.

Half of all Syrian female refugees were under the age of 18 when they were displaced by war to the Turkish border area.

LGBTQ Syrian refugees: An untold story 
 
Turkey’s Syrian refugee community includes other marginalised groups that would face unique dangers back home, including gay, lesbian and trans people.

The exact number of LGBTQ Syrian refugees displaced across the region is unknown, human rights groups say. But Syria – like much of the Middle East and North Africa region – is a dangerous place to be gay.

Homosexuality is illegal in Syria, and both the government and terror groups like the Islamic State persecute sexual minorities. Being gay is culturally unacceptable according to traditional Islamic mores.

Though Turkey does not criminalize homosexuality, it is not always safe for LGBTQ Syrian refugees, either. Gay Syrians have suffered physical and verbal attacks, often with little response from law enforcement or the government.

In August 2016, Muhammed Wisam Sankari was found mutilated and killed in Istanbul, two days after he went missing. Sankari had told police he feared for his life after having previously been abducted, tortured and raped by unknown attackers, according to reports.

Recent crackdowns by the Turkish police in Syrian refugee communities have been detaining and deporting thousands of Syrian refugees, including LGBTQ people.

The Turkish government denies that it is forcibly returning refugees to a war zone, which would be illegal under Turkish and international law.

For LGBTQ Syrians, going home may be a death sentence.

In August 2019 a transgender Syrian woman named Ward told The Guardian newspaper that she feared being deported to the Turkey-Syria border because the al-Nusra terrorist group, a branch of al-Qaida with 5,000 to 10,000 fighters in western Syria, would kill her.

Ward was deported days later. She was last seen in late August being forced into the trunk of a car by militants in Syria, according to the Guardian report.

Collateral damage 
 
Erdogan’s stated purpose in invading Syria is to rid its northern region of the Kurdish Worker’s Party – an armed militia and political party known as the PKK – and create a “buffer zone” between the two countries.

The PKK has been a thorn in Turkey’s side for the past 41 years.

With Syrian government support, PKK leader Abdallah Ocallan has been threatening the Turkish government with a Kurdish separatist insurgency long before Erdogan’s presidency.

The United States, like Turkey, considers the PKK to be a terrorist organisation.

But in Syria the US&nbsp;had, until its recent military withdrawal, allied itself with other secular and progressive Syrian groups, namely the Syrian Democratic Forces.

The Kurdish minority in northern Syria, as in nearby Iraq, has long been stuck between Ocallan’s armed militia, the Turkish government and their own authoritarian leaders – used and abused, my research finds, by politicians seeking to further their own regional agenda in the Mideast.

Returning Syrian refugees to this battleground would make them the “buffer” between these warring forces, turning more vulnerable people into collateral damage of a greater geopolitical war.

 
(Deina Abdelkader is Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell) 
 
(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the<a href="https://theconversation.com/deportation-to-syria-could-mean-death-for-women-children-and-lgbtq-refugees-in-turkey-125195"> original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

By Deina Abdelkader Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan isn’t limiting his assault on neighbouring Syria to attacking Kurdish troops that run the country’s northern region.

By Deina Abdelkader Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan isn’t limiting his assault on neighbouring Syria to attacking Kurdish troops that run the country’s northern region. He says the 3.6 million Syrians now living as war refugees in Turkey may also be returned “to their own homes” once northern Syria is wrenched from Kurdish control. This could be an empty threat. After eight years of welcoming people fleeing Syria’s civil war, the Turkish public is beginning to turn against Syrian refugees. Erdogan may see anti-refugee rhetoric as a way to boost his popularity, which is slumping due to recession in Turkey and years of controversial power grabs. But if the Turkish president does deport Syrian refugees, he won’t be sending them to a “safe zone,” as promised. These extremely vulnerable people would be deported into the lines of combat in this contested, oil-rich zone. The forgotten half: Women Syrian refugees In my experience researching minorities at risk in the Middle East, governments dealing with mass migration often overlook the particular challenges facing the most vulnerable refugees: women, children and LGBTQ people. The Syrian refugees in Turkey are majorly Sunni Muslim – the same faith that predominates in both Turkey and Syria. However, Syrians are ethnically and linguistically different than Turks. Syrian refugees differ from the broader Turkish and Syrian public in another way, too: 75 per cent of them are women and children, according to the global nonprofit Migration Policy Institute. Between 2011 and 2017, more than 224,000 babies were born in Turkey to Syrian refugee families. Those children are now stateless, granted neither Turkish nor Syrian citizenship at birth. Syrian women refugees suffer more discrimination and racism in Turkey than their male counterparts, research shows. This is partially due to a big gap in Turkish language acquisition: 20 per cent of Syrian refugee women complained that lack of language causes exclusion and discrimination, UN survey data from 2016 shows, compared to 13 per cent of men. Even so, 73 pere cent of Syrian refugee women told the UN that they feel safe in Turkey. That may be related to their resettlement in cities and towns across Turkey, primarily in Istanbul, where they usually live in poor neighbourhoods. Those areas surely feel secure compared to war-torn Syria. They are safer, too, than refugee camps along the Turkish-Syrian border, where rape, human trafficking, prostitution and child marriages have all been reported, according to OBC Transeuropa, a think tank. Half of all Syrian female refugees were under the age of 18 when they were displaced by war to the Turkish border area. LGBTQ Syrian refugees: An untold story Turkey’s Syrian refugee community includes other marginalised groups that would face unique dangers back home, including gay, lesbian and trans people. The exact number of LGBTQ Syrian refugees displaced across the region is unknown, human rights groups say. But Syria – like much of the Middle East and North Africa region – is a dangerous place to be gay. Homosexuality is illegal in Syria, and both the government and terror groups like the Islamic State persecute sexual minorities. Being gay is culturally unacceptable according to traditional Islamic mores. Though Turkey does not criminalize homosexuality, it is not always safe for LGBTQ Syrian refugees, either. Gay Syrians have suffered physical and verbal attacks, often with little response from law enforcement or the government. In August 2016, Muhammed Wisam Sankari was found mutilated and killed in Istanbul, two days after he went missing. Sankari had told police he feared for his life after having previously been abducted, tortured and raped by unknown attackers, according to reports. Recent crackdowns by the Turkish police in Syrian refugee communities have been detaining and deporting thousands of Syrian refugees, including LGBTQ people. The Turkish government denies that it is forcibly returning refugees to a war zone, which would be illegal under Turkish and international law. For LGBTQ Syrians, going home may be a death sentence. In August 2019 a transgender Syrian woman named Ward told The Guardian newspaper that she feared being deported to the Turkey-Syria border because the al-Nusra terrorist group, a branch of al-Qaida with 5,000 to 10,000 fighters in western Syria, would kill her. Ward was deported days later. She was last seen in late August being forced into the trunk of a car by militants in Syria, according to the Guardian report. Collateral damage Erdogan’s stated purpose in invading Syria is to rid its northern region of the Kurdish Worker’s Party – an armed militia and political party known as the PKK – and create a “buffer zone” between the two countries. The PKK has been a thorn in Turkey’s side for the past 41 years. With Syrian government support, PKK leader Abdallah Ocallan has been threatening the Turkish government with a Kurdish separatist insurgency long before Erdogan’s presidency. The United States, like Turkey, considers the PKK to be a terrorist organisation. But in Syria the US had, until its recent military withdrawal, allied itself with other secular and progressive Syrian groups, namely the Syrian Democratic Forces. The Kurdish minority in northern Syria, as in nearby Iraq, has long been stuck between Ocallan’s armed militia, the Turkish government and their own authoritarian leaders – used and abused, my research finds, by politicians seeking to further their own regional agenda in the Mideast. Returning Syrian refugees to this battleground would make them the “buffer” between these warring forces, turning more vulnerable people into collateral damage of a greater geopolitical war. (Deina Abdelkader is Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Deportation to Syria could mean death for women, children and LGBTQ refugees in Turkey

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday threatened to resume Turkey's military offensive in Syria "with greater determination" unless the withdrawal of Kurdish fighters is completed under a US-brokered deal.

"If the promises given to our country by the United States are not kept, we will continue our operation from where we left off with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-replaces-four-more-pro-kurdish-mayors-as-crackdown-widens-257486">greater determination</a>," Erdogan told reporters before departing for talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Following a deal with US Vice President Mike Pence last week, Turkey announced a 120-hour&nbsp;suspension of the offensive from last Thursday under which &nbsp;Kurdish fighters were to withdraw to allow a "safe zone" to be set up along the border.

Erdogan was to meet with Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi later Tuesday as the end of the 120-hour deadline approaches.

"We will have the opportunity to discuss steps to end (Kurdish fighters') presence in regime-held areas," the Turkish leader said.&nbsp;

Erdogan last week said he was not bothered by the Damascus regime's presence in several regions along the Turkish border.

Erdogan also firmly rejected a call by French President Emmanuel Macron to extend the ceasefire.

"There is no such proposal that was conveyed to me from Macron. Macron is in fact talking about such things mostly with terrorists," Erdogan said, referring to a meeting between Jihane Ahmed, the spokeswoman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and the French leader.&nbsp;

"He preferred to communicate the terrorists' offer to us. France is not our interlocutor," Erdogan said, adding that Turkey was in touch with the United States over Syria.

Macron on Monday told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that France wanted to see an extension of the ceasefire by Turkey in northeast Syria, the Elysee Palace said in a statement.

"The president underscored the importance of prolonging the current ceasefire, and of ending the crisis by diplomatic means," the presidency said after a phone call between the two leaders.&nbsp;

Ankara says the YPG is a "terrorist" offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been waging an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday threatened to resume Turkey's military offensive in Syria "with greater determination" unless the withdrawal of Kurdish fighters is completed under a US-brokered deal.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday threatened to resume Turkey's military offensive in Syria "with greater determination" unless the withdrawal of Kurdish fighters is completed under a US-brokered deal. "If the promises given to our country by the United States are not kept, we will continue our operation from where we left off with greater determination," Erdogan told reporters before departing for talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Following a deal with US Vice President Mike Pence last week, Turkey announced a 120-hour suspension of the offensive from last Thursday under which Kurdish fighters were to withdraw to allow a "safe zone" to be set up along the border. Erdogan was to meet with Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi later Tuesday as the end of the 120-hour deadline approaches. "We will have the opportunity to discuss steps to end (Kurdish fighters') presence in regime-held areas," the Turkish leader said. Erdogan last week said he was not bothered by the Damascus regime's presence in several regions along the Turkish border. Erdogan also firmly rejected a call by French President Emmanuel Macron to extend the ceasefire. "There is no such proposal that was conveyed to me from Macron. Macron is in fact talking about such things mostly with terrorists," Erdogan said, referring to a meeting between Jihane Ahmed, the spokeswoman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and the French leader. "He preferred to communicate the terrorists' offer to us. France is not our interlocutor," Erdogan said, adding that Turkey was in touch with the United States over Syria. Macron on Monday told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that France wanted to see an extension of the ceasefire by Turkey in northeast Syria, the Elysee Palace said in a statement. "The president underscored the importance of prolonging the current ceasefire, and of ending the crisis by diplomatic means," the presidency said after a phone call between the two leaders. Ankara says the YPG is a "terrorist" offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been waging an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984.

Erdogan warns Syria offensive will resume unless Kurds complete pull out

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Friday warned that Ankara would restart its operation against Kurdish forces in Syria on Tuesday evening if they did not withdraw from a "safe zone".

Turkey has agreed to suspend its offensive for five days in northern Syria while Kurdish fighters withdraw from the area, after high stake talks with US Vice President Mike Pence in Ankara.

"If the promises are kept until Tuesday evening, the safe zone issue will be resolved. If it fails, the operation... will start the minute 120 hours are over," Erdogan told reporters during a foreign media briefing in Istanbul.

He said Turkish armed forces would remain in the region "because the security there requires this", adding that the agreement was holding and there had been no issues so far.

But the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Friday there had been Turkish air strikes on the village of Bab al-Kheir, east of Ras al-Ain on the border. The war monitor said 14 civilians were killed.

Turkey launched the cross-border incursion on October 9 after repeatedly threatening to clear the border area from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia.

The Turkish forces are supporting Syrian rebel fighters under the "Syrian National Army" banner but the proxies have been accused by Amnesty International of committing "war crimes" including summary executions.

Erdogan also condemned the abuses that some Syrian proxies are accused of having committed during the offensive.&nbsp;

"Whoever commits such an act is no different from (the Islamic State group). We cannot accept such a thing," he said, adding that the army was investigating the claims.

Kurdish authorities in northeastern Syria also accused Turkey of resorting to banned weapons such as napalm and white phosphorus munitions, a charge Erdogan denied.

"There are certainly no chemical weapons in the inventory of our armed forces. This is all slander against our armed forces," he added.

He accused the YPG of freeing nearly 750 IS extremists including 150 Turks but said 195 of them had been caught.

Erdogan said Ankara was not bothered by the Syrian regime's control of the areas cleared from the Kurdish fighters.

"The regime's control is not a source of concern to us. What matters to us is that terror groups leave the safe zone."

'No intention to stay'

While US President Donald Trump appeared to initially greenlight the offensive, he made repeated threats against Turkey, often in tweets, following international outrage.

He then sent Pence and the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with other US officials to Ankara to thrash out a deal, which was announced on Thursday after hours of talks.

Erdogan said the proposed "safe zone" would be 32 kilometres (20 miles) deep, and 444 kilometres in length, and patrolled by Turkey.

He added that the region between the border towns of Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain had been cleared, "but this is not over. The process is ongoing".

Pointing to a map, he said 12 observation posts would be set up to monitor the zone.

But, he said, "We have no intention to stay there. This is out of the question."

Just hours before the US-Turkey talks, a letter seen by many as bizarre appeared in the US media from Trump to Erdogan, in which the US leader urged Erdogan not to be a "fool" and warned his Turkish counterpart that history risked branding him a "devil."

Erdogan said Friday the letter was not in line with "political and diplomatic courtesy... but our mutual love and respect does not allow us to keep it on the agenda".

He also said he hoped the deal would become a "milestone" and "new beginning" in Turkish-US relations fraught by a series of issues including American support for the Kurdish militants in Syria.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Friday warned that Ankara would restart its operation against Kurdish forces in Syria on Tuesday evening if they did not withdraw from a "safe zone".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Friday warned that Ankara would restart its operation against Kurdish forces in Syria on Tuesday evening if they did not withdraw from a "safe zone". Turkey has agreed to suspend its offensive for five days in northern Syria while Kurdish fighters withdraw from the area, after high stake talks with US Vice President Mike Pence in Ankara. "If the promises are kept until Tuesday evening, the safe zone issue will be resolved. If it fails, the operation... will start the minute 120 hours are over," Erdogan told reporters during a foreign media briefing in Istanbul. He said Turkish armed forces would remain in the region "because the security there requires this", adding that the agreement was holding and there had been no issues so far. But the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Friday there had been Turkish air strikes on the village of Bab al-Kheir, east of Ras al-Ain on the border. The war monitor said 14 civilians were killed. Turkey launched the cross-border incursion on October 9 after repeatedly threatening to clear the border area from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia. The Turkish forces are supporting Syrian rebel fighters under the "Syrian National Army" banner but the proxies have been accused by Amnesty International of committing "war crimes" including summary executions. Erdogan also condemned the abuses that some Syrian proxies are accused of having committed during the offensive. "Whoever commits such an act is no different from (the Islamic State group). We cannot accept such a thing," he said, adding that the army was investigating the claims. Kurdish authorities in northeastern Syria also accused Turkey of resorting to banned weapons such as napalm and white phosphorus munitions, a charge Erdogan denied. "There are certainly no chemical weapons in the inventory of our armed forces. This is all slander against our armed forces," he added. He accused the YPG of freeing nearly 750 IS extremists including 150 Turks but said 195 of them had been caught. Erdogan said Ankara was not bothered by the Syrian regime's control of the areas cleared from the Kurdish fighters. "The regime's control is not a source of concern to us. What matters to us is that terror groups leave the safe zone." 'No intention to stay' While US President Donald Trump appeared to initially greenlight the offensive, he made repeated threats against Turkey, often in tweets, following international outrage. He then sent Pence and the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with other US officials to Ankara to thrash out a deal, which was announced on Thursday after hours of talks. Erdogan said the proposed "safe zone" would be 32 kilometres (20 miles) deep, and 444 kilometres in length, and patrolled by Turkey. He added that the region between the border towns of Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain had been cleared, "but this is not over. The process is ongoing". Pointing to a map, he said 12 observation posts would be set up to monitor the zone. But, he said, "We have no intention to stay there. This is out of the question." Just hours before the US-Turkey talks, a letter seen by many as bizarre appeared in the US media from Trump to Erdogan, in which the US leader urged Erdogan not to be a "fool" and warned his Turkish counterpart that history risked branding him a "devil." Erdogan said Friday the letter was not in line with "political and diplomatic courtesy... but our mutual love and respect does not allow us to keep it on the agenda". He also said he hoped the deal would become a "milestone" and "new beginning" in Turkish-US relations fraught by a series of issues including American support for the Kurdish militants in Syria.

Erdogan threatens to restart Syria operation Tuesday if deal not respected

Turkey agreed on Thursday to pause its offensive in Syria for five days to let Kurdish forces withdraw from a "safe zone" Ankara had sought to capture, in a deal hailed by the Trump administration and cast by Turkey as a complete victory.

The truce was announced by US Vice President Mike Pence after talks in Ankara with Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan, and was praised by President Donald Trump, who said it would save <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-and-turkey-reach-ceasefire-in-syria-256560">"millions of lives"</a>.

But if implemented it would achieve all the main objectives Turkey announced when it launched its assault on October 9, control of a strip of Syria more than 30 km (20 miles) deep, with the Kurdish militia, once US allies, obliged to pull out.

It was also unclear if the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) would fully comply with the agreement, which would leave Turkish forces in charge of a swathe of territory that the Kurds once held with US military support.

SDF commander Mazloum Kobani told Ronahi TV the group would accept the ceasefire agreement with Turkey in northern Syria but said it was limited to the border areas running between the towns of Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad.

Watch: Turkey-Syria conflict - Trump's flip flop baffles allies

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Republican and Democratic senators accused Trump of having betrayed the Kurdish allies who were vital in fighting Islamic State militants, of brushing aside the humanitarian costs of Turkey's invasion and of being outwitted by Ankara.

"The safe zone will be primarily enforced by the Turkish Armed Forces," a joint US-Turkish statement released after the talks said.

US senators who have criticized the Trump administration for failing to prevent the Turkish assault in the first place said they would press ahead with legislation to impose sanctions against Turkey despite the ceasefire announcement.

A Turkish official told Reuters that Ankara got "exactly what we wanted" from the talks with the United States. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu described it as a pause, solely to allow the Kurdish fighters to withdraw.

Kurdish fighters would be forced to give up their heavy weapons and their positions would be destroyed, Cavusoglu said. He declined to call the agreement a "ceasefire", saying ceasefires could be agreed only by legitimate sides, and not by a Kurdish militia that Turkey considers a terrorist group.

"When the terrorist elements completely leave the safe zone, we can stop the operation," Cavusoglu said.

Washington and Ankara will cooperate to handle Islamic State (IS) fighters and their families held in prisons and camps, the joint statement said, addressing concerns that the militant group might reconstitute and again attack Western targets.

Uncertainty about Kurdish response

Pence said Washington had already been in contact with the Kurdish-led SDF, which had agreed to withdraw and were already pulling out.

However, the Kurdish position was not clear. Speaking to Ronahi TV, SDF commander Kobani said the agreement is "just the beginning" and will not achieve Turkey's goals.

Aldar Xelil, a leading Syrian Kurdish politician, told Al Arabiya television that the Kurds would abide by the ceasefire but would defend themselves.

Pence said that once the pause became permanent, Washington would go ahead with its own plans to withdraw its forces from northern Syria, which had partnered with the Kurds to fight against Islamic State. However, there were no signs that US forces had ceased their withdrawal, a US official said.

Trump tweeted: "Great news out of Turkey".

"Thank you to Erdogan," Trump said. "Millions of lives will be saved!"

"Today the United States and Turkey have agreed to a ceasefire in Syria," Pence told a news conference after more than four hours of talks at the presidential palace in Ankara.

"The Turkish side will pause Operation Peace Spring in order to allow for the withdrawal of YPG forces from the safe zone for 120 hours," Pence said. "All military operations under Operation Peace Spring will be paused, and Operation Peace Spring will be halted entirely on completion of the withdrawal."

The deal struck with Erdogan also provided for Turkey not to engage in military operations in the flashpoint Syrian border town of Kobani, Pence said. Cavusoglu said Turkey had given no commitments about Kobani.

US Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey said the agreement covered central northeastern Syria and Turkey was in separate talks with the Russians and the Syrians about other parts of the region.

"We have a very (convoluted) situation with Russian, Syrian Army, Turkish, American, SDF and some Daesh (Islamic State) elements all floating around in a very wild way," he told pool reporters as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Tel Aviv from Ankara.

Humanitarian crisis

Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican, said the agreement "is far from a victory" and demanded the administration explain what will happen to the Kurds, what will be the future US role in the region and why Turkey "will face no apparent consequences."

"What President Trump agreed to today is a capitulation to Turkey at the expense of our Kurdish allies," Senator Maggie Hassan, a Democrat, said in a statement, saying "the agreement lets Turkey off the hook for slaughtering innocent civilians."

The Turkish assault has created a new humanitarian crisis in Syria with 200,000 civilians taking flight, a security alert over thousands of Islamic State fighters potentially abandoned in Kurdish jails, and a political maelstrom at home for Trump.

The Turkish assault began on October 9 after Trump moved US troops out of the way after an October 6 phone call with Erdogan. Trump announced sanctions on Turkey on Monday, after the assault began, but critics said these were too little, too late.

Pence said the sanctions would be lifted once the ceasefire became permanent.

If successful, the deal could smooth over a major rift between Washington and Turkey, the only Muslim NATO ally.

But the US withdrawal also leaves US adversaries Russia and Iran in a far stronger position in Syria. The Kurds responded to the US withdrawal by effectively switching allegiances and inviting Syrian government forces, backed by Moscow and Tehran, into towns and cities in areas they control.

"The United States essentially agreed to everything Turkey was seeking: a green light to invade, the creation of a huge 'safe zone' that Kurdish fighters have to leave, and the end of Kurdish autonomy," said Phil Gordon, an Obama administration official now at the Council on Foreign Relations.

"Deeply damaging to US credibility, not just because Trump betrayed the Kurds but because it once again makes Trump look like a paper tiger: after all his big threats to Turkey he gave it everything it wanted for almost nothing in return," Gordon said.

Turkey agreed on Thursday to pause its offensive in Syria for five days to let Kurdish forces withdraw from a "safe zone" Ankara had sought to capture, in a deal hailed by the Trump administration and cast by Turkey as a complete victory.

Turkey agreed on Thursday to pause its offensive in Syria for five days to let Kurdish forces withdraw from a "safe zone" Ankara had sought to capture, in a deal hailed by the Trump administration and cast by Turkey as a complete victory. The truce was announced by US Vice President Mike Pence after talks in Ankara with Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan, and was praised by President Donald Trump, who said it would save "millions of lives". But if implemented it would achieve all the main objectives Turkey announced when it launched its assault on October 9, control of a strip of Syria more than 30 km (20 miles) deep, with the Kurdish militia, once US allies, obliged to pull out. It was also unclear if the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) would fully comply with the agreement, which would leave Turkish forces in charge of a swathe of territory that the Kurds once held with US military support. SDF commander Mazloum Kobani told Ronahi TV the group would accept the ceasefire agreement with Turkey in northern Syria but said it was limited to the border areas running between the towns of Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad. Watch: Turkey-Syria conflict - Trump's flip flop baffles allies × Republican and Democratic senators accused Trump of having betrayed the Kurdish allies who were vital in fighting Islamic State militants, of brushing aside the humanitarian costs of Turkey's invasion and of being outwitted by Ankara. "The safe zone will be primarily enforced by the Turkish Armed Forces," a joint US-Turkish statement released after the talks said. US senators who have criticized the Trump administration for failing to prevent the Turkish assault in the first place said they would press ahead with legislation to impose sanctions against Turkey despite the ceasefire announcement. A Turkish official told Reuters that Ankara got "exactly what we wanted" from the talks with the United States. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu described it as a pause, solely to allow the Kurdish fighters to withdraw. Kurdish fighters would be forced to give up their heavy weapons and their positions would be destroyed, Cavusoglu said. He declined to call the agreement a "ceasefire", saying ceasefires could be agreed only by legitimate sides, and not by a Kurdish militia that Turkey considers a terrorist group. "When the terrorist elements completely leave the safe zone, we can stop the operation," Cavusoglu said. Washington and Ankara will cooperate to handle Islamic State (IS) fighters and their families held in prisons and camps, the joint statement said, addressing concerns that the militant group might reconstitute and again attack Western targets. Uncertainty about Kurdish response Pence said Washington had already been in contact with the Kurdish-led SDF, which had agreed to withdraw and were already pulling out. However, the Kurdish position was not clear. Speaking to Ronahi TV, SDF commander Kobani said the agreement is "just the beginning" and will not achieve Turkey's goals. Aldar Xelil, a leading Syrian Kurdish politician, told Al Arabiya television that the Kurds would abide by the ceasefire but would defend themselves. Pence said that once the pause became permanent, Washington would go ahead with its own plans to withdraw its forces from northern Syria, which had partnered with the Kurds to fight against Islamic State. However, there were no signs that US forces had ceased their withdrawal, a US official said. Trump tweeted: "Great news out of Turkey". "Thank you to Erdogan," Trump said. "Millions of lives will be saved!" "Today the United States and Turkey have agreed to a ceasefire in Syria," Pence told a news conference after more than four hours of talks at the presidential palace in Ankara. "The Turkish side will pause Operation Peace Spring in order to allow for the withdrawal of YPG forces from the safe zone for 120 hours," Pence said. "All military operations under Operation Peace Spring will be paused, and Operation Peace Spring will be halted entirely on completion of the withdrawal." The deal struck with Erdogan also provided for Turkey not to engage in military operations in the flashpoint Syrian border town of Kobani, Pence said. Cavusoglu said Turkey had given no commitments about Kobani. US Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey said the agreement covered central northeastern Syria and Turkey was in separate talks with the Russians and the Syrians about other parts of the region. "We have a very (convoluted) situation with Russian, Syrian Army, Turkish, American, SDF and some Daesh (Islamic State) elements all floating around in a very wild way," he told pool reporters as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Tel Aviv from Ankara. Humanitarian crisis Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican, said the agreement "is far from a victory" and demanded the administration explain what will happen to the Kurds, what will be the future US role in the region and why Turkey "will face no apparent consequences." "What President Trump agreed to today is a capitulation to Turkey at the expense of our Kurdish allies," Senator Maggie Hassan, a Democrat, said in a statement, saying "the agreement lets Turkey off the hook for slaughtering innocent civilians." The Turkish assault has created a new humanitarian crisis in Syria with 200,000 civilians taking flight, a security alert over thousands of Islamic State fighters potentially abandoned in Kurdish jails, and a political maelstrom at home for Trump. The Turkish assault began on October 9 after Trump moved US troops out of the way after an October 6 phone call with Erdogan. Trump announced sanctions on Turkey on Monday, after the assault began, but critics said these were too little, too late. Pence said the sanctions would be lifted once the ceasefire became permanent. If successful, the deal could smooth over a major rift between Washington and Turkey, the only Muslim NATO ally. But the US withdrawal also leaves US adversaries Russia and Iran in a far stronger position in Syria. The Kurds responded to the US withdrawal by effectively switching allegiances and inviting Syrian government forces, backed by Moscow and Tehran, into towns and cities in areas they control. "The United States essentially agreed to everything Turkey was seeking: a green light to invade, the creation of a huge 'safe zone' that Kurdish fighters have to leave, and the end of Kurdish autonomy," said Phil Gordon, an Obama administration official now at the Council on Foreign Relations. "Deeply damaging to US credibility, not just because Trump betrayed the Kurds but because it once again makes Trump look like a paper tiger: after all his big threats to Turkey he gave it everything it wanted for almost nothing in return," Gordon said.

Turkey agrees with US to pause Syria assault while Kurds withdraw

Shelling and gunfire resounded around the northeast Syrian town of Ras al-Ain on Friday, a day after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-agrees-with-us-to-pause-syria-assault-while-kurds-withdraw-256571">Turkey agreed with the United States to pause its offensive in Syria</a> for five days to let Kurdish forces withdraw.

Machine-gun fire and shelling could be heard from the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar across the border from Ras al-Ain, and smoke rose from one part of the Syrian town.

The truce was announced some 13 hours earlier by US Vice President Mike Pence after talks in Ankara with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey agreed to the five-day pause to let the Kurdish-led SDF militia withdraw from a "safe zone" Ankara had sought to capture.

The deal was praised by US President Donald Trump, who said it would save "millions of lives," while Turkey cast it as a complete victory.

If implemented, the deal would achieve all the main objectives Turkey announced when it launched its assault on October 9, control of a strip of Syria more than 30 km (20 miles) deep, with the SDF forces - once US allies in the years-long fight against Islamic State - obliged to pull out.

Watch: Turkey-Syria conflict - Trump's flip flop baffles allies

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Republican and Democratic senators accused Trump of having betrayed the Kurdish allies who were vital in fighting Islamic State militants, of brushing aside the humanitarian costs of Turkey's invasion and of being outwitted by Ankara.

It was unclear whether there was&nbsp;any damage&nbsp;from the shelling heard on Friday.

It was also unclear whether the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) would fully comply with the agreement, which would leave Turkish forces in charge of a swathe of territory that the Kurds once held with US military support.

SDF commander Mazloum Kobani told Kurdish broadcaster Ronahi TV late on Thursday the group would accept the ceasefire agreement but said it was limited to the border areas running between Ras al-Ain and the town of Tal Abyad.

The joint US-Turkish statement released after the talks in Ankara said: "The safe zone will be primarily enforced by the Turkish Armed Forces."

It said Washington and Ankara would cooperate on handling Islamic State fighters and family members held in prisons and camps, a major international concern. Pence said US sanctions imposed on Tuesday would be lifted once the ceasefire became permanent.

In Washington, US senators who have criticised the Trump administration for failing to prevent the Turkish assault in the first place said on Thursday they would press ahead with legislation to impose sanctions against Turkey despite the ceasefire announcement.

A Turkish official told Reuters that Ankara got "exactly what we wanted" from the talks with the United States.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu described the deal as a pause, solely to allow the Kurdish fighters to withdraw. They would be forced to give up their heavy weapons and their positions would be destroyed, he said.

He declined to call the agreement a "ceasefire", saying ceasefires could be agreed only by legitimate sides, and not by a Kurdish militia that Turkey considers a terrorist group.

"When the terrorist elements completely leave the safe zone, we can stop the operation," Cavusoglu said on Thursday.

Humanitarian crisis

The Turkish assault began after Trump moved US troops out following an October 6 phone call with Erdogan.

It has created a new humanitarian crisis in Syria with - according to Red Cross estimates - 200,000 civilians taking flight, a security alert over thousands of Islamic State fighters potentially abandoned in Kurdish jails, and a political maelstrom at home for Trump.

The House of Representatives condemned his policy in a vote backed by a majority of his fellow Republicans as well as Democrats. Trump announced sanctions on Turkey on Tuesday, after the assault began, but critics said these were too little, too late.

If successful, the ceasefire deal could smooth over a major rift between the United States and Turkey, the only Muslim NATO ally.

But the US withdrawal also leaves US adversaries Russia and Iran in a far stronger position in Syria. The Kurds responded to the US withdrawal by effectively switching allegiances and inviting Syrian government forces, backed by Moscow and Tehran, into towns and cities in areas they control.

There could be friction both along the edges of the new safe zone claimed by Turkey, and within it, where Syrian government forces have advanced in recent days.

While Pence said Washington had already been in contact with the SDF and that it was already pulling out, the Kurdish position was not clear.

Kobani, the SDF commander, said the agreement was "just the beginning" and would not achieve Turkey's goals. Aldar Xelil, a leading Syrian Kurdish politician, said the Kurds would abide by the ceasefire but would defend themselves.

There was more uncertainty around the flashpoint Syrian border town of Kobani. Pence said the deal provided for Turkey not to engage in military operations there, while Cavusoglu said Turkey had given no commitments about Kobani.

US Special Representative for Syria Engagement, James Jeffrey, said late on Thursday the agreement covered central northeastern Syria, adding Turkey was in separate talks with the Russians and the Syrians about other parts of the region.

"We have a very (convoluted) situation with Russian, Syrian Army, Turkish, American, SDF and some Daesh (Islamic State) elements all floating around in a very wild way," he said. 
&nbsp;

Shelling and gunfire resounded around the northeast Syrian town of Ras al-Ain on Friday, a day after Turkey agreed with the United States to pause its offensive in Syria for five days to let Kurdish forces withdraw.

Shelling and gunfire resounded around the northeast Syrian town of Ras al-Ain on Friday, a day after Turkey agreed with the United States to pause its offensive in Syria for five days to let Kurdish forces withdraw. Machine-gun fire and shelling could be heard from the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar across the border from Ras al-Ain, and smoke rose from one part of the Syrian town. The truce was announced some 13 hours earlier by US Vice President Mike Pence after talks in Ankara with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey agreed to the five-day pause to let the Kurdish-led SDF militia withdraw from a "safe zone" Ankara had sought to capture. The deal was praised by US President Donald Trump, who said it would save "millions of lives," while Turkey cast it as a complete victory. If implemented, the deal would achieve all the main objectives Turkey announced when it launched its assault on October 9, control of a strip of Syria more than 30 km (20 miles) deep, with the SDF forces - once US allies in the years-long fight against Islamic State - obliged to pull out. Watch: Turkey-Syria conflict - Trump's flip flop baffles allies × Republican and Democratic senators accused Trump of having betrayed the Kurdish allies who were vital in fighting Islamic State militants, of brushing aside the humanitarian costs of Turkey's invasion and of being outwitted by Ankara. It was unclear whether there was any damage from the shelling heard on Friday. It was also unclear whether the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) would fully comply with the agreement, which would leave Turkish forces in charge of a swathe of territory that the Kurds once held with US military support. SDF commander Mazloum Kobani told Kurdish broadcaster Ronahi TV late on Thursday the group would accept the ceasefire agreement but said it was limited to the border areas running between Ras al-Ain and the town of Tal Abyad. The joint US-Turkish statement released after the talks in Ankara said: "The safe zone will be primarily enforced by the Turkish Armed Forces." It said Washington and Ankara would cooperate on handling Islamic State fighters and family members held in prisons and camps, a major international concern. Pence said US sanctions imposed on Tuesday would be lifted once the ceasefire became permanent. In Washington, US senators who have criticised the Trump administration for failing to prevent the Turkish assault in the first place said on Thursday they would press ahead with legislation to impose sanctions against Turkey despite the ceasefire announcement. A Turkish official told Reuters that Ankara got "exactly what we wanted" from the talks with the United States. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu described the deal as a pause, solely to allow the Kurdish fighters to withdraw. They would be forced to give up their heavy weapons and their positions would be destroyed, he said. He declined to call the agreement a "ceasefire", saying ceasefires could be agreed only by legitimate sides, and not by a Kurdish militia that Turkey considers a terrorist group. "When the terrorist elements completely leave the safe zone, we can stop the operation," Cavusoglu said on Thursday. Humanitarian crisis The Turkish assault began after Trump moved US troops out following an October 6 phone call with Erdogan. It has created a new humanitarian crisis in Syria with - according to Red Cross estimates - 200,000 civilians taking flight, a security alert over thousands of Islamic State fighters potentially abandoned in Kurdish jails, and a political maelstrom at home for Trump. The House of Representatives condemned his policy in a vote backed by a majority of his fellow Republicans as well as Democrats. Trump announced sanctions on Turkey on Tuesday, after the assault began, but critics said these were too little, too late. If successful, the ceasefire deal could smooth over a major rift between the United States and Turkey, the only Muslim NATO ally. But the US withdrawal also leaves US adversaries Russia and Iran in a far stronger position in Syria. The Kurds responded to the US withdrawal by effectively switching allegiances and inviting Syrian government forces, backed by Moscow and Tehran, into towns and cities in areas they control. There could be friction both along the edges of the new safe zone claimed by Turkey, and within it, where Syrian government forces have advanced in recent days. While Pence said Washington had already been in contact with the SDF and that it was already pulling out, the Kurdish position was not clear. Kobani, the SDF commander, said the agreement was "just the beginning" and would not achieve Turkey's goals. Aldar Xelil, a leading Syrian Kurdish politician, said the Kurds would abide by the ceasefire but would defend themselves. There was more uncertainty around the flashpoint Syrian border town of Kobani. Pence said the deal provided for Turkey not to engage in military operations there, while Cavusoglu said Turkey had given no commitments about Kobani. US Special Representative for Syria Engagement, James Jeffrey, said late on Thursday the agreement covered central northeastern Syria, adding Turkey was in separate talks with the Russians and the Syrians about other parts of the region. "We have a very (convoluted) situation with Russian, Syrian Army, Turkish, American, SDF and some Daesh (Islamic State) elements all floating around in a very wild way," he said.

Shelling heard around Syrian town after Turkish-US ceasefire deal

US President Donald Trump and Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan discussed the planed 'safe zone' in northeastern Syria on Sunday.

Turkish president office, in a statement, said that Erdogan is expected to visit the US next month, reported Sputnik.

"Our president had a phone conversation with Donald Trump. In addition to issues related to bilateral ties, the sides exchanged opinions on the planned safe zone in northern Syria, east of the Euphrates River," the Turkey presidency said in a press statement.

Turkey and the US on August 7 agreed to set up a safe zone in northern Syria and develop a peace corridor to facilitate the movement of displaced Syrians.

The agreement also proposed for necessary security measures to address Turkey's security concerns. In order to secure the border, Turkey plans to resettle two million Syrians in the safe zone, stretching from the Euphrates River to the Iraqi border, including Manbij.

Turkey has demanded a 30-kilometre deep safe zone. However, the two countries have not reached an agreement on the size and composition of the safe zone.

The call between as Ankara has accelerated the effort to seal the deal of safe zone with Washington.

On Friday, Turkey's presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin and the newly appointed US National Security Advisor Robert C O'Brien discussed the issue.

US President Donald Trump and Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan discussed the planed 'safe zone' in northeastern Syria on Sunday. Turkish president office, in a statement, said that Erdogan is expected to visit the US next month, reported Sputnik.

US President Donald Trump and Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan discussed the planed 'safe zone' in northeastern Syria on Sunday. Turkish president office, in a statement, said that Erdogan is expected to visit the US next month, reported Sputnik. "Our president had a phone conversation with Donald Trump. In addition to issues related to bilateral ties, the sides exchanged opinions on the planned safe zone in northern Syria, east of the Euphrates River," the Turkey presidency said in a press statement. Turkey and the US on August 7 agreed to set up a safe zone in northern Syria and develop a peace corridor to facilitate the movement of displaced Syrians. The agreement also proposed for necessary security measures to address Turkey's security concerns. In order to secure the border, Turkey plans to resettle two million Syrians in the safe zone, stretching from the Euphrates River to the Iraqi border, including Manbij. Turkey has demanded a 30-kilometre deep safe zone. However, the two countries have not reached an agreement on the size and composition of the safe zone. The call between as Ankara has accelerated the effort to seal the deal of safe zone with Washington. On Friday, Turkey's presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin and the newly appointed US National Security Advisor Robert C O'Brien discussed the issue.

Trump, Erdogan discuss proposed 'safe zone' in northeastern Syria over phone call

Turkey will mount a military operation in northeast Syria, it said on Saturday, after accusing Washington of not doing enough to expel Syrian Kurdish fighters from its border.

The air and ground operation east of the Euphrates river in Syria could start at any time, President Tayyip Erdogan said.

The US-backed force which controls the region, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) led by the Kurdish YPG militia, said it wanted stability but vowed to respond to any attack.

"We will not hesitate to turn any unprovoked attack by Turkey into an all-out war on the entire border to defend ourselves and our people," SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali said.

NATO allies Ankara and Washington agreed in August to set up a zone in northeast Syria along the border with Turkey, which considers the YPG a terrorist organisation linked to Kurdish insurgents at home.

Turkey has accused the United States, which helped the YPG defeat Islamic State militants in Syria, of moving too slowly to create the zone. They are at odds over how far it should extend into Syria and who should control it.

Ankara wants the zone to stretch 30 km (19 miles) inside Syria and to be cleared of YPG fighters. It has repeatedly warned of launching an offensive on its own into northeast Syria, where U.S. forces are stationed alongside the SDF.

Erdogan said Turkey aimed to "water the east of Euphrates with fountains of peace" and settle refugees there.

"We gave all warnings to our interlocutors regarding the east of Euphrates and we have acted with sufficient patience," he said at the opening of his AK Party's annual camp.

"We've made our preparations, we've completed our operation plans, given the necessary instructions." He added that air and ground actions could start "as soon as today or tomorrow".

Turkey's state-owned Anadolu Agency said late on Saturday that nine trucks loaded with armoured vehicles and one bus carrying military personnel had been sent to the border district of Akcakale, located in the southeastern province of Sanliurfa.

The convoy was sent to reinforce military units based on the Syrian border, Anadolu said. It was not immediately clear whether the shipment was in preparation for an incursion.

Refugees

Ankara says it wants to settle up to 2 million Syrian refugees in the zone, nearly halving the number sheltering in Turkey from Syria's more than eight-year conflict.

However, the refugee transfer could face resistance from allies opposed to changing the demographic balance of the area. Kurdish leaders have previously accused Turkey of seeking to resettle mainly Arab Syrians from other parts of the country in their region - which Ankara denies.

U.S. and Turkish troops have so far carried out half a dozen joint air missions over northeast Syria and three land patrols, including one on Friday. Washington deems these "concrete steps" to address Ankara's concerns. Turkey says it is not enough.

"Land patrols, air patrols - we are seeing all of these are fiction," Erdogan said on Saturday.

The SDF, which has said it will pull back up to 14 km (8.7 miles) on some parts of the border, is committed to the agreements under U.S.-Turkish talks and will remain so if "dangerous threats" stop, its spokesman Bali said.

Kurdish commanders have warned that a Turkish border attack would lead to a resurgence of Islamic State militants, from which the SDF seized vast territory in north and east Syria.

"Simply, there will be a big gap in the towns that our forces will withdraw from to go to defend the border, and this will give Daesh the opportunity to return," Bali said.

In recent years, the Turkish military has launched two offensives with its Syrian insurgent allies in the northwest of the country and has forces stationed there.

Turkey's rebel allies pledged on Friday to back an offensive by Ankara east of the Euphrates, blaming the YPG for displacing Arabs from the region.

Turkey will mount a military operation in northeast Syria, it said on Saturday, after accusing Washington of not doing enough to expel Syrian Kurdish fighters from its border.

Turkey will mount a military operation in northeast Syria, it said on Saturday, after accusing Washington of not doing enough to expel Syrian Kurdish fighters from its border. The air and ground operation east of the Euphrates river in Syria could start at any time, President Tayyip Erdogan said. The US-backed force which controls the region, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) led by the Kurdish YPG militia, said it wanted stability but vowed to respond to any attack. "We will not hesitate to turn any unprovoked attack by Turkey into an all-out war on the entire border to defend ourselves and our people," SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali said. NATO allies Ankara and Washington agreed in August to set up a zone in northeast Syria along the border with Turkey, which considers the YPG a terrorist organisation linked to Kurdish insurgents at home. Turkey has accused the United States, which helped the YPG defeat Islamic State militants in Syria, of moving too slowly to create the zone. They are at odds over how far it should extend into Syria and who should control it. Ankara wants the zone to stretch 30 km (19 miles) inside Syria and to be cleared of YPG fighters. It has repeatedly warned of launching an offensive on its own into northeast Syria, where U.S. forces are stationed alongside the SDF. Erdogan said Turkey aimed to "water the east of Euphrates with fountains of peace" and settle refugees there. "We gave all warnings to our interlocutors regarding the east of Euphrates and we have acted with sufficient patience," he said at the opening of his AK Party's annual camp. "We've made our preparations, we've completed our operation plans, given the necessary instructions." He added that air and ground actions could start "as soon as today or tomorrow". Turkey's state-owned Anadolu Agency said late on Saturday that nine trucks loaded with armoured vehicles and one bus carrying military personnel had been sent to the border district of Akcakale, located in the southeastern province of Sanliurfa. The convoy was sent to reinforce military units based on the Syrian border, Anadolu said. It was not immediately clear whether the shipment was in preparation for an incursion. Refugees Ankara says it wants to settle up to 2 million Syrian refugees in the zone, nearly halving the number sheltering in Turkey from Syria's more than eight-year conflict. However, the refugee transfer could face resistance from allies opposed to changing the demographic balance of the area. Kurdish leaders have previously accused Turkey of seeking to resettle mainly Arab Syrians from other parts of the country in their region - which Ankara denies. U.S. and Turkish troops have so far carried out half a dozen joint air missions over northeast Syria and three land patrols, including one on Friday. Washington deems these "concrete steps" to address Ankara's concerns. Turkey says it is not enough. "Land patrols, air patrols - we are seeing all of these are fiction," Erdogan said on Saturday. The SDF, which has said it will pull back up to 14 km (8.7 miles) on some parts of the border, is committed to the agreements under U.S.-Turkish talks and will remain so if "dangerous threats" stop, its spokesman Bali said. Kurdish commanders have warned that a Turkish border attack would lead to a resurgence of Islamic State militants, from which the SDF seized vast territory in north and east Syria. "Simply, there will be a big gap in the towns that our forces will withdraw from to go to defend the border, and this will give Daesh the opportunity to return," Bali said. In recent years, the Turkish military has launched two offensives with its Syrian insurgent allies in the northwest of the country and has forces stationed there. Turkey's rebel allies pledged on Friday to back an offensive by Ankara east of the Euphrates, blaming the YPG for displacing Arabs from the region.

Erdogan says Turkey to launch military operation in northeast Syria

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday renewed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-shrugs-off-thomas-cook-collapse-amid-booming-investment-252448">Turkey's</a> threat to launch an "air and ground" operation in Syria against a Kurdish militia viewed as terrorists by Ankara.

The president previously said that Turkey's patience was wearing thin after Turkish and American officials agreed in August to establish a buffer zone in northern<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-syria-camp-uncertain-future-for-foreign-islamic-state-orphans-253184"> Syria</a>.

"We've made our preparations, completed our operation plans, given the necessary instructions," Erdogan said during a televised speech, adding that the offensive could start "as soon as today, tomorrow".

"We will conduct this (operation) on the ground and in the air," he added, saying it would be east of the Euphrates river.

Erdogan has repeatedly threatened to launch a cross-border offensive and recently suggested that progress on the zone with the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-supreme-court-agrees-to-hear-case-on-restrictive-abortion-law-253858"> US</a> was not developing as Ankara wanted.

While there have been joint US-Turkey patrols, Turkey wants to urgently establish a "safe zone" for the return of up to two million Syrian refugees.

Turkey is home to more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees but there has been a growing public backlash against their presence.

Ankara wants to push the US-backed Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia from its border, saying that the group is a "terrorist" offshoot of Kurdish insurgents in Turkey.

But the YPG has worked closely with American troops in the fight against the Islamic State extremist group, recapturing territory in northern Syria.

The Turkish military has twice launched offensives in Syria against IS in 2016 and against the YPG in 2018

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday renewed Turkey's threat to launch an "air and ground" operation in Syria against a Kurdish militia viewed as terrorists by Ankara.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday renewed Turkey's threat to launch an "air and ground" operation in Syria against a Kurdish militia viewed as terrorists by Ankara. The president previously said that Turkey's patience was wearing thin after Turkish and American officials agreed in August to establish a buffer zone in northern Syria. "We've made our preparations, completed our operation plans, given the necessary instructions," Erdogan said during a televised speech, adding that the offensive could start "as soon as today, tomorrow". "We will conduct this (operation) on the ground and in the air," he added, saying it would be east of the Euphrates river. Erdogan has repeatedly threatened to launch a cross-border offensive and recently suggested that progress on the zone with the US was not developing as Ankara wanted. While there have been joint US-Turkey patrols, Turkey wants to urgently establish a "safe zone" for the return of up to two million Syrian refugees. Turkey is home to more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees but there has been a growing public backlash against their presence. Ankara wants to push the US-backed Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia from its border, saying that the group is a "terrorist" offshoot of Kurdish insurgents in Turkey. But the YPG has worked closely with American troops in the fight against the Islamic State extremist group, recapturing territory in northern Syria. The Turkish military has twice launched offensives in Syria against IS in 2016 and against the YPG in 2018

Turkey President Tayyip Erdogan renews Syria 'air and ground' operation threat

Reacting to Turkey raising the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/youth-from-jammu-and-kashmir-line-up-to-join-indian-army-in-srinagar-253536">Kashmir </a>issue at the recently held session of the UN General Assembly, India on Friday called upon the Turkish government to get a proper understanding of the situation on the ground before making any further statements on it.

Watch Video:&nbsp;Indian Ministry of External Affairs briefs media

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Reiterating that it is an internal issue of India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "We call upon the Turkey government to get a proper understanding of the situation on the ground before they make any further statements on this issue. It is a matter which is completely internal to India."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had raked up the issue during his address at the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/india-slams-china-at-unga-for-building-road-in-pok-asserts-jk-situation-internal-matter-252608">UNGA</a> in New York recently. India had vowed not to talk about the issue during the UNGA session in light of the matter being completely sovereign in nature.

Reacting to Turkey raising the Kashmir issue at the recently held session of the UN General Assembly, India on Friday called upon the Turkish government to get a proper understanding of the situation on the ground before making any further statements on it.

Reacting to Turkey raising the Kashmir issue at the recently held session of the UN General Assembly, India on Friday called upon the Turkish government to get a proper understanding of the situation on the ground before making any further statements on it. Watch Video: Indian Ministry of External Affairs briefs media × Reiterating that it is an internal issue of India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "We call upon the Turkey government to get a proper understanding of the situation on the ground before they make any further statements on this issue. It is a matter which is completely internal to India." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had raked up the issue during his address at the UNGA in New York recently. India had vowed not to talk about the issue during the UNGA session in light of the matter being completely sovereign in nature.

Turkey should get proper understanding of ground situation in J-K, says MEA

The leaders of Turkey, Russia and Iran meeting in Ankara on Monday agreed to try to ease tensions in northwest Syria's Idlib region, but disagreements between the countries appeared to linger, especially over the threat from Islamic State.

The leaders of Turkey, Russia and Iran meeting in Ankara on Monday agreed to try to ease tensions in northwest Syria's Idlib region, but disagreements between the countries appeared to linger, especially over the threat from Islamic State. The summit of the three countries - all of whom have allies fighting in Syria's ruinous eight-year-old war - aimed to find a lasting truce in Syria. Recent attacks by Syrian government forces risk deepening regional turmoil and pushing a new wave of migrants towards Turkey. "We are in a period when we need to take more responsibility for peace in Syria, when we (three countries) need to carry more weight," Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan said, adding that all three leaders were in agreement that a political solution was necessary to end the crisis in Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani have supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against the rebels. Erdogan, along with the United States, and European and Arab allies, has supported different rebel factions. On Monday, the three leaders said in a joint statement that they were alarmed about the risk of further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in and around Idlib and had agreed to take "concrete steps" to stop violations of previously negotiated agreements between the three countries. Disagreements appeared to persist, however, in particular over the threat in Syria from Islamic State, which Erdogan dismissed completely while Putin expressed concern. "Of course, we are worried by the situation in northeast of Syria, where sleeping cells of ISIS are emerging," Putin told a joint news conference, minutes after Erdogan said that the only threat in northern Syria was from Kurdish militant groups. The joint statement did not mention Saturday's attacks on two of Saudi Arabia's Aramco facilities by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group, which a Saudi-led coalition said were carried out with Iranian weapons. However, at the joint news conference after the summit, Iran's Rouhani called the attacks a reciprocal measure by "Yemeni people" to assaults on their country. "Yemeni people are exercising their legitimate right of defence ... the attacks were a reciprocal response to aggression against Yemen for years," Rouhani said. Focus on Idlib According to the joint statement, the talks focussed on Idlib, the last remaining territory held by rebels seeking to overthrow Assad. Syrian troops on Sunday shelled the south of Idlib in the area where a ceasefire had halted the fierce army offensive two weeks ago, according to rescuers and residents. Turkey, which has a 911-km (566-mile) border with Syria along its southern frontier, has 12 military observation posts in the region, under a deal with Moscow and Tehran in 2017. In an interview with Reuters on Friday, Erdogan warned that Turkey would retaliate against any Syrian government attack on Turkish posts. Erdogan and Putin, who agreed last month to take steps to "normalise" the situation in Idlib after Syrian troops encircled rebels and a Turkish post in the region, reiterated the need to root out militant groups the region. "Russia, on its part, plans to support Syrian army while it carries local operations aimed at removing of terrorist threat where it emerges," Putin said.

Turkey, Russia, Iran agree steps to ease tensions in Syria's Idlib despite lingering differences

With ice cream and Syria on their agenda, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Russia was nothing sort of an easy one as Ankara and Moscow remain to be at the odds over developments in Syria. Meanwhile, the offensive in Idlib rages on as rebels push government troops back.

Vladimir Putin bonds with Tayyip Erdogan over ice cream

Turkey's central bank cut its inflation forecasts on Wednesday and new governor Murat Uysal said it has "considerable" room for manoeuvre on interest rates in coming months, a week after it began an expected policy easing cycle with a big cut.

Uysal appointed this month after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkish-president-recep-tayyip-erdogan-says-trump-can-waive-sanctions-on-turkey-report-236013">President Tayyip Erdogan</a> dismissed his predecessor also said the bank had independence in its use of tools to reach its inflation target.

Periodic doubts about the bank's freedom from political interference resurfaced after Murat Cetinkaya's abrupt sacking. Erdogan said the former bank governor had failed to follow instructions.

The upbeat comments by Uysal, who was Cetinkaya's deputy, set the scene for more rate cuts over the next months, especially if a spreading monetary easing trend among major central banks continues to stabilise the Turkish lira after its meltdown last year.

The lira was up 0.6 per cent at 5.53 against the dollar at 1246 GMT, on track for a sixth straight day of gains.

"In the upcoming period, we have a considerable room for manoeuvre on rates. Its application, timing and size will depend on the improvements on price and financial stability," Uysal said. "We will make (the decision) based on data."

The central bank hiked its policy rate to 24 per cent at the peak of last year's currency crisis. High rates, along with companies burdened with large amounts of foreign currency debt, drove the economy into recession and cut nearly 30 per cent from the value of the lira.

It also sent inflation soaring above 25 per cent. It has since fallen to below 16 per cent, paving the way for the bank to cut rates last week by 425 basis points to 19.75 per cent.

On Wednesday, the bank cut its inflation forecast for 2019 to 13.9 per cent from 14.6 per cent but left next year's outlook unchanged at 8.2 per cent. Uysal said the policy would depend on the inflation outlook.

In a separate publication of the minutes of the bank's policy meeting last week, it said there was a risk that inflation would not edge lower as expected.

"Although other central banks have generally been cutting, Turkish interest rates remain high and there's room for more cuts," said Nikolay Markov, senior economist at Pictet Asset Management, who expects the policy rate to fall to about 14 per cent by mid-2020.

"People thought (Uysal) would be a lot more political and what he has said today makes sense and that provides some comfort to foreign investors."

Asked in a press conference about Cetinkaya's sacking, Uysal said it had met legal requirements.

He also said the central bank had a more optimistic outlook for the economy in 2020 as lira volatility ebbed.

"The delayed, cumulative effects of the exchange rate slowly being left behind is turning our expectations for 2020 to a positive trajectory," he said.

Turkey's central bank cut its inflation forecasts on Wednesday and new governor Murat Uysal said it has "considerable" room for manoeuvre on interest rates in coming months, a week after it began an expected policy easing cycle with a big cut.

Turkey's central bank cut its inflation forecasts on Wednesday and new governor Murat Uysal said it has "considerable" room for manoeuvre on interest rates in coming months, a week after it began an expected policy easing cycle with a big cut. Uysal appointed this month after President Tayyip Erdogan dismissed his predecessor also said the bank had independence in its use of tools to reach its inflation target. Periodic doubts about the bank's freedom from political interference resurfaced after Murat Cetinkaya's abrupt sacking. Erdogan said the former bank governor had failed to follow instructions. The upbeat comments by Uysal, who was Cetinkaya's deputy, set the scene for more rate cuts over the next months, especially if a spreading monetary easing trend among major central banks continues to stabilise the Turkish lira after its meltdown last year. The lira was up 0.6 per cent at 5.53 against the dollar at 1246 GMT, on track for a sixth straight day of gains. "In the upcoming period, we have a considerable room for manoeuvre on rates. Its application, timing and size will depend on the improvements on price and financial stability," Uysal said. "We will make (the decision) based on data." The central bank hiked its policy rate to 24 per cent at the peak of last year's currency crisis. High rates, along with companies burdened with large amounts of foreign currency debt, drove the economy into recession and cut nearly 30 per cent from the value of the lira. It also sent inflation soaring above 25 per cent. It has since fallen to below 16 per cent, paving the way for the bank to cut rates last week by 425 basis points to 19.75 per cent. On Wednesday, the bank cut its inflation forecast for 2019 to 13.9 per cent from 14.6 per cent but left next year's outlook unchanged at 8.2 per cent. Uysal said the policy would depend on the inflation outlook. In a separate publication of the minutes of the bank's policy meeting last week, it said there was a risk that inflation would not edge lower as expected. "Although other central banks have generally been cutting, Turkish interest rates remain high and there's room for more cuts," said Nikolay Markov, senior economist at Pictet Asset Management, who expects the policy rate to fall to about 14 per cent by mid-2020. "People thought (Uysal) would be a lot more political and what he has said today makes sense and that provides some comfort to foreign investors." Asked in a press conference about Cetinkaya's sacking, Uysal said it had met legal requirements. He also said the central bank had a more optimistic outlook for the economy in 2020 as lira volatility ebbed. "The delayed, cumulative effects of the exchange rate slowly being left behind is turning our expectations for 2020 to a positive trajectory," he said.

Turkey's cenbank trims inflation view, new head sees room for rate cuts

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan sacked the central bank governor for refusing the government's repeated demands for rate cuts, Hurriyet newspaper on Sunday quoted Erdogan as telling a meeting with his party's lawmakers.

Governor Murat Cetinkaya, whose four-year term was due to run until 2020, was replaced by his deputy Murat Uysal, a presidential decree published early on Saturday in the official gazette showed.

"We told him repeatedly in economy meetings that he should cut rates. We told him that the rate cut would help inflation to fall. He didn't do what was necessary," Erdogan was quoted as saying.

The daily Hurriyet said Erdogan gave his explanation for sacking Cetinkaya, almost a year before his term was due to end, during a consultation meeting in Istanbul with the members of his ruling AK Party.

"We weren't on the same page," Erdogan added.

No official reason was given for the sacking, but government sources cited Erdogan's frustration that the bank has kept its benchmark interest rate at 24% since last September to support the ailing lira currency.

In a written statement on Saturday, Uysal said he would independently implement monetary policy instruments focused on achieving and maintaining the primary objective of price stability.

Despite the new governor's assurance, critics say the move once again showed that Erdogan was in full control of the monetary policy, and that Turkey would witness a period of rapid rate cuts.

"The sacking of the governor of the CBRT by presidential decree shows that Erdogan is in charge of monetary policy," said Wolfango Piccoli, of the London-based political risk consultancy Teneo.

"The decision significantly undermines whatever credibility the CBRT had left. It also signals that overall institutional degradation continues unabated," he added.

Under Turkey's new executive presidency, which came into effect last year, Erdogan does not need cabinet approval to change the central bank governor.

A senior Turkish economist also said Erdogan's surprise dismissal of Cetinkaya could further undermine perceptions of the bank's independence.

"While the debate regarding the central bank's independence continues, removing Cetinkaya, who apparently resisted some measures, and replacing him through an unusual method will only fuel this debate," the senior economist told Reuters.

"We will see how he can convince the markets for a rate cut at a time when the independence is increasingly doubtful."

The central bank has kept its benchmark rate unchanged since it increased the rate by 625 basis points to 24% in September to prevent a full-blown financial crisis.

Several economists were already expecting a rate cut at a July 25 monetary board meeting as inflation fell to 15.7% in June, its lowest level in one year.

"Newspapers have cited Erdogan saying that Cetinkaya did not do what he was told on rates. It casts a shadow on Uysal, but he will be quite aggressive on rate cuts," another Turkish economist told Reuters.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan sacked the central bank governor for refusing the government's repeated demands for rate cuts, Hurriyet newspaper on Sunday quoted Erdogan as telling a meeting with his party's lawmakers.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan sacked the central bank governor for refusing the government's repeated demands for rate cuts, Hurriyet newspaper on Sunday quoted Erdogan as telling a meeting with his party's lawmakers. Governor Murat Cetinkaya, whose four-year term was due to run until 2020, was replaced by his deputy Murat Uysal, a presidential decree published early on Saturday in the official gazette showed. "We told him repeatedly in economy meetings that he should cut rates. We told him that the rate cut would help inflation to fall. He didn't do what was necessary," Erdogan was quoted as saying. The daily Hurriyet said Erdogan gave his explanation for sacking Cetinkaya, almost a year before his term was due to end, during a consultation meeting in Istanbul with the members of his ruling AK Party. "We weren't on the same page," Erdogan added. No official reason was given for the sacking, but government sources cited Erdogan's frustration that the bank has kept its benchmark interest rate at 24% since last September to support the ailing lira currency. In a written statement on Saturday, Uysal said he would independently implement monetary policy instruments focused on achieving and maintaining the primary objective of price stability. Despite the new governor's assurance, critics say the move once again showed that Erdogan was in full control of the monetary policy, and that Turkey would witness a period of rapid rate cuts. "The sacking of the governor of the CBRT by presidential decree shows that Erdogan is in charge of monetary policy," said Wolfango Piccoli, of the London-based political risk consultancy Teneo. "The decision significantly undermines whatever credibility the CBRT had left. It also signals that overall institutional degradation continues unabated," he added. Under Turkey's new executive presidency, which came into effect last year, Erdogan does not need cabinet approval to change the central bank governor. A senior Turkish economist also said Erdogan's surprise dismissal of Cetinkaya could further undermine perceptions of the bank's independence. "While the debate regarding the central bank's independence continues, removing Cetinkaya, who apparently resisted some measures, and replacing him through an unusual method will only fuel this debate," the senior economist told Reuters. "We will see how he can convince the markets for a rate cut at a time when the independence is increasingly doubtful." The central bank has kept its benchmark rate unchanged since it increased the rate by 625 basis points to 24% in September to prevent a full-blown financial crisis. Several economists were already expecting a rate cut at a July 25 monetary board meeting as inflation fell to 15.7% in June, its lowest level in one year. "Newspapers have cited Erdogan saying that Cetinkaya did not do what he was told on rates. It casts a shadow on Uysal, but he will be quite aggressive on rate cuts," another Turkish economist told Reuters.

Erdogan says Turkish central bank chief ousted for refusing rate cuts: Report

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tayyip-erdogan-says-car-explosion-in-turkey-kills-three-may-be-terrorism-related-233323">Turkey on Saturday</a> fired its central bank governor and replaced him with the bank's deputy governor, a presidential decree published on the official gazette showed.

Murat Cetinkaya, who had been serving as the governor since April 2016, was removed from the role and was replaced by his deputy Murat Uysal, the order showed.

No official reason was given for the sacking, but markets have speculated over recent weeks that Cetinkaya may be pushed out by the government because of his reluctance to cut rates.

The central bank has faced pressure in the past from President Tayyip Erdogan to lower interest rates to boost economic growth.

Two government sources told Reuters that differences between the government and the governor over the conduct of monetary policy have deepened in the past few months.

"The difference of opinions between the governor and the ministers in charge of the economy has deepened in the recent period," said one of the sources.

"The President and the finance minister demanded his resignation, but Cetinkaya reminded of the bank's independence and declined to resign," the other source said.

In a statement on Saturday, the central bank said it will continue to operate independently and that the new governor will focus on maintaining price stability as its key goal.

Data earlier in the week showed Turkey's consumer inflation slowed to its lowest level in a year in June, mainly due to a high base effect from the prior year and a drop in food prices, potentially paving the way for the country's first interest rate cut since last year's currency crisis.

Analysts expect the central bank could ease monetary policy at a July 25 meeting if the lira is not hit this month by threatened US sanctions over Turkey's purchase of a Russian missile defence system.

Turkey on Saturday fired its central bank governor and replaced him with the bank's deputy governor, a presidential decree published on the official gazette showed.

Turkey on Saturday fired its central bank governor and replaced him with the bank's deputy governor, a presidential decree published on the official gazette showed. Murat Cetinkaya, who had been serving as the governor since April 2016, was removed from the role and was replaced by his deputy Murat Uysal, the order showed. No official reason was given for the sacking, but markets have speculated over recent weeks that Cetinkaya may be pushed out by the government because of his reluctance to cut rates. The central bank has faced pressure in the past from President Tayyip Erdogan to lower interest rates to boost economic growth. Two government sources told Reuters that differences between the government and the governor over the conduct of monetary policy have deepened in the past few months. "The difference of opinions between the governor and the ministers in charge of the economy has deepened in the recent period," said one of the sources. "The President and the finance minister demanded his resignation, but Cetinkaya reminded of the bank's independence and declined to resign," the other source said. In a statement on Saturday, the central bank said it will continue to operate independently and that the new governor will focus on maintaining price stability as its key goal. Data earlier in the week showed Turkey's consumer inflation slowed to its lowest level in a year in June, mainly due to a high base effect from the prior year and a drop in food prices, potentially paving the way for the country's first interest rate cut since last year's currency crisis. Analysts expect the central bank could ease monetary policy at a July 25 meeting if the lira is not hit this month by threatened US sanctions over Turkey's purchase of a Russian missile defence system.

Turkey fires central bank governor as policy differences deepen

A car exploded in southeast Turkey near the border with Syria on Friday, killing three Syrian people, President <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/its-a-problem-trump-tells-erdogan-on-russia-s-400-missile-deal-231388&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjV5Z6w6J3jAhWjW3wKHWprBhkQFjAEegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0-9MZlIbB1e7kEabf-OZ3r">Tayyip Erdogan</a> said, adding that initial findings showed the blast may be terrorism-related.

The explosion took place in the town of Reyhanli, where officials are carrying out inspections to determine its cause, Erdogan said. He said it was clear the explosion was the result of a bomb inside the vehicle detonating.

Security sources said one of the Syrian passengers in the car was a suicide bomber whose explosive device detonated early, causing the blast.

The sources said the passengers in the car were being investigated for potential links to Islamic State and added that one person was also wounded in the blast.

Reyhanli is home to thousands of Syrian refugees. Following a series of bombings in the region in 2013, Turkey tightened controls along its 900-km (560-mile) border with Syria.

Twin car bombs ripped through the town, which is in Hatay province, on May 11, 2013, killing 52 people. At the time, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/istanbul-mayor-says-win-marks-new-beginning-for-turkey-229840&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjV5Z6w6J3jAhWjW3wKHWprBhkQFjAJegQIAxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1UzZAHpHZy1J6nWAOaxicF">Turkey </a>accused a group loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of carrying out the attacks. Damascus denied any involvement.

In May, Turkey handed down 53 life sentences without parole to Yusuf Nazik, the man authorities say planned the 2013 bomb attack.

Turkey has been one of the biggest supporters of the rebels fighting Syrian government forces during the eight-year conflict in Syria. It hosts some 3.5 million Syrian refugees.

A car exploded in southeast Turkey near the border with Syria on Friday, killing three Syrian people, President Tayyip Erdogan said, adding that initial findings showed the blast may be terrorism-related.

A car exploded in southeast Turkey near the border with Syria on Friday, killing three Syrian people, President Tayyip Erdogan said, adding that initial findings showed the blast may be terrorism-related. The explosion took place in the town of Reyhanli, where officials are carrying out inspections to determine its cause, Erdogan said. He said it was clear the explosion was the result of a bomb inside the vehicle detonating. Security sources said one of the Syrian passengers in the car was a suicide bomber whose explosive device detonated early, causing the blast. The sources said the passengers in the car were being investigated for potential links to Islamic State and added that one person was also wounded in the blast. Reyhanli is home to thousands of Syrian refugees. Following a series of bombings in the region in 2013, Turkey tightened controls along its 900-km (560-mile) border with Syria. Twin car bombs ripped through the town, which is in Hatay province, on May 11, 2013, killing 52 people. At the time, Turkey accused a group loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of carrying out the attacks. Damascus denied any involvement. In May, Turkey handed down 53 life sentences without parole to Yusuf Nazik, the man authorities say planned the 2013 bomb attack. Turkey has been one of the biggest supporters of the rebels fighting Syrian government forces during the eight-year conflict in Syria. It hosts some 3.5 million Syrian refugees.

Tayyip Erdogan says car explosion in Turkey kills three, may be terrorism-related

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