Turkey Strengthens Syria Outposts as Russia Talks Continue

Turkey is deploying additional military supplies to fortify its outposts in Syria’s Idlib province, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar told Hurriyet newspaper, to defend against any bigger confrontation with Russian-backed Syrian fighters in the area.

Troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by the Russian air force, have launched an offensive to retake Idlib, the only major opposition holdout, from al-Qaeda affiliates and Turkey-backed rebels. The province has become a flashpoint between Ankara and Moscow since Syrian troops killed seven Turkish soldiers and a civilian there last week, but Akar said Turkey was keeping Russia in the loop about its operations in Idlib.