Russia denies responsibility after strikes kill at least 33 Turkish troops in Syria

ABC News ^ | February 28, 2020 | Staff

[C19fan]

Russia's military has denied it is responsible for airstrikes that killed dozens of Turkish soldiers on Thursday night in the Syrian province of Idlib, in an incident which threatens to cause a major escalation in Syria's civil war.

Turkey has said at least 33 of its troops were killed and almost 40 more injured in the strikes. It said the airstrikes were carried out by the Syrian government.

The deaths, the worst loss of life for Turkey's military since it became involved in Syria, occurred amid rising tensions and a spiraling humanitarian crisis in Idlib. This comes as Turkey seeks to halt a ferocious two-month Russian-backed offensive by the Syrian government as it seeks to retake the province.

[Zhang Fei]

If this was the Syrian Arab Air Force, I’m impressed.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Question: Who do we root for? I’m saving my popcorn for the Democrats.

[House Atreides]

Only 33? Damn!

[Jeff Chandler]

[nuconvert]

“Russia’s military has denied it is responsible for airstrikes that killed dozens of Turkish soldiers on Thursday night in the Syrian province of Idlib”

Ha. Of course it does. Who would expect them to say anything else?

[Alberta's Child]

Turkey has said at least 33 of its troops were killed and almost 40 more injured in the strikes. It said the airstrikes were carried out by the Syrian government.

Imagine the audacity of those Syrians. Turkey sends an armed force to occupy a sovereign nation, and then the government of that nation actually decides to do something about it.

[Zhang Fei]

[Question: Who do we root for? I’m saving my popcorn for the Democrats.]

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We root for the war to be stalemated and continue, back and forth, for the next hundred years. And beyond. Russians and Arabs vs Turks and Arabs. What’s not to like?

[Cicero]

Tough luck. Turkey is not our friend.

[PGR88]

I thought only we were allowed to kill Arabs?

[Grampa Dave]

Ooops! Was there a hidden message with the public apology?

[nuconvert]

Lol. Funny, unless its your furniture.

[McGruff]

Let them kill each other off. Just get our troops out of there.

[Wuli]

No fan of Putin, but no fan of Erdogan either. In this particular case I would believe the Russians over Erdogan.

[rrrod]

Turks dead Russians dead muzzies dead.
I don’t give a shi’ite.

[Zhang Fei]

Amusingly, the Turks (and Linda Graham) want to get NATO involved. I’m gonna guess that this will meet with shrugs from all NATO members, including Uncle Sam. My bet? Trump has no wish to help Turkey annex Syrian territory, given its encroachment on allied Kurdish territory in Syrian Kurdistan.

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[NATO announced that it would hold an emergency council meeting on the situation in Syria after Turkey triggered the Article 4 mechanism of the alliance’s charter, which permits members to seek consultations when their territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened.

NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke with Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu by phone, the Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu reported. Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, who plays a senior role in foreign affairs, also spoke to U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien, AP reported.

Turkey has been calling for the international community to help halt the Russian-backed offensive in Idlib as the humanitarian crisis there worsens. The offensive has already sent hundreds of thousands of civilians fleeing towards the border with Turkey. Huge numbers of people are sleeping in tent camps in freezing temperatures.

“The world is sitting on its hands and watching the destruction of Idlib by Assad, Iran, and the Russians,” U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said in a statement. “I very much appreciate Turkey’s intervention in Idlib. It is now time for the international community to establish a no-fly zone to save thousands of innocent men, women, and children from a horrible death.” ]

[Wuli]

The Syrian government recently gained control of the last few strategic villages along the main national highway that connects Damascus to Allepo. That activity was in the area Erdogan is attempting to OCCUPY under the pretense he is only helping the “Syrian opposition” (to Assad).

Now Erdogan is trying to take back those villages and deny the Syrian government control of the main north-south highway end to end.

This all NOT about “the Syrian opposition”. It is about Turkey/Erdogan attempting to permanently occupy a section of northwestern Syria.

[map]

Great. Erdogan, leader of a NATO member nation threatens to unleash hordes into Europe while Lindsey threatens to go to war with Russia.

Over what? A province that is under attack by jihadists and that has been part of Syria for decades?

Why doesn’t Lindsey just go to the floor to demand a declaration of war? And why don’t we politely ask Erdogan to leave NATO?

[Waverunner]

North Korea could join the Russian side and Iran could support Turkey , with both sending large “Peacekeeping” contingents to implement and monitor a cease fire.
We could wish...