Turkish Troops Killed in Syria Ahead of Erdogan-Putin Summit

Smoke billows above the rebel-controlled village of Sarmin in Idlib province on March 3.Photographer: Omar Haj Kadour/AFP via Getty Images

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By Selcan Hacaoglu

March 4, 2020 at 4:17 AM UTC

Updated on

March 4, 2020 at 8:27 AM UTC

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At least three Turkish soldiers were killed in Syria ahead of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Moscow, increasing tensions and threatening the relationship between the two nations.

Erdogan is scheduled to travel to Russia’s capital on Thursday in the hopes of convincing President Vladimir Putin to rein in the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and agree to a Turkish-controlled safe zone. Turkey bombed Syrian army targets after attacks on its soldiers on Tuesday and Wednesday, which also left 15 troops wounded.