Lavrov: We have information indicating Turkey is sending troops to Idlib

2020-02-05 10:02:44


	NEWS CENTER - Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said that Turkey has not fulfilled some of its "basic" commitments towards Idlib, calling on Ankara to "abide strictly" by the  reached agreements  by presidents of the two countries in Sochi, he confirmed Turkey's transferring of  Syrian mercenaries to Libya.

	 

	"Unfortunately, at this stage, the Turkish side could not meet some of the commitments aimed at resolving the problem in Idlib radically," Lavrov said in response to questions from the Russian Foreign Ministry's Rosyskaya Gazeta newspaper published on the official website of the Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.

	 

	Lavrov noted that Turkey has not been able to "separate the Syrian armed opposition, which cooperates with the Turks and is ready for dialogue with the Syrian government as part of the political process, from the terrorists of Jabhat al-Nusra, which is imitated by the Levant Liberation Organization."

	 

	"There have been reports of the Turkish troops being deployed in Idlib area, and clashes between them and the Syrian army. Our army is monitoring this situation. According to our previously announced statements by the General  of Staff, the Turkish army advanced to certain positions within the de-escalation zone in Idlib, without warning, so we were unable to inform the Syrian army of this, and there were strikes that were responded, followed by threats from the Turkish side to take revenge measures. It's all very sad."

	 

	In another context, the Russian foreign minister stressed that a sea transferring operation for mercenaries from the ( de-escalation zone ) in Idlib to Libya for participating in the fight.

	 

	About this issue, Lavrov said " the other party that is linked with arising threats and dangers from the ( de- escalation zone ) in Idlib, is the movement of hundreds of mercenaries, including ( Al Nusrah ) and ( Haya'at Tahrir Al Sham ) from Syria to Libya for taking part in escalating the fighting battles in this country.'

	 

	"Russia cannot solve this problem on its own, but it can only demands implementing of the agreements on Idlib unconditionally and fairly," Lavrov said, adding that Moscow "is talking about this with the Turkish partners."