Turkey Presses Russia to Restrain Assad’s Attacks on Idlib
- Strains emerge just as Turkey seeks Russian missile defenses
- U.S. is threatening NATO partner Turkey with sanctions
A blast illuminates the night sky after an alleged napalm bomb attack by Assad Regime and Russia in the de-escalation zone of Idlib, on June 1.
Photographer: Muhammed Ali/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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Turkey wants Russia to restrain intensified Syrian government assaults in that nation’s last rebel-held province, a senior security official said, days after President Bashar al-Assad’s forces shelled Turkish troops assigned to monitor a truce there.
The advance on the northwest province of Idlib by Russian-backed Syrian government forces has created strains with Moscow at a critical moment for Turkey, as it weighs risking U.S. sanctions by taking delivery of a Russian missile-defense system.