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No More ‘Excuses’: Turkey Tells Russia to Curb Syrian Forces

Smoke rises from the Syrian village of al-Nayrab, about 14 kilometres southeast of the city of Idlib, during bombardment by Syrian government forces and its allies.
Smoke rises from the Syrian village of al-Nayrab, about 14 kilometres southeast of the city of Idlib, during bombardment by Syrian government forces and its allies.

Photographer: Omar Haj Kadour/AFP via Getty Images

Russia must do more to rein in Syrian government forces in the Idlib region and not hide behind excuses, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Tuesday.

Turkey retaliated with warplanes and artillery after Syrian troops killed seven Turkish soldiers and a civilian in the province, where the government, backed by the Russian air force, is trying to vanquish onetime al-Qaeda affiliates and Turkey-backed rebels.