The Russian and the Syrian regime have resumed intensive airstrikes against Islamist-rebel targets in the northwestern Idlib and Hama provinces, following a failed attempt by the Presidents of Turkey, Iran and Russia to agree on a ceasefire; that would have forestalled a Russian-backed offensive. Friday’s summit focused on the looming military operation in Idlib, the last major stronghold of active opposition in Syria to the rule of President Bashar al-Assad. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan pushed for a ceasefire during the summit, but Russian President Vladimir Putin said a truce would be pointless as it would not involve Islamist militant groups, which the Assad regime and its allies deem as terrorists. During the summit, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani claimed that the two main backers of the terror groups in Idlib are the United States and Israel, vowing to continue its support of its ally in Damascus, to eradicate (What he termed as) “the Western threat.” “America and the Zionist regime (referring to Israel), who are the main players who created terrorist groups, who armed and trained them, today clearly realize creating terrorist groups, and arming them and supporting them, will not achieve their goals,” / “The illegal presence and interference of America in Syria which has led to the continuation of insecurity in that country, must end quickly,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said. Rouhani added that the battle in Syria will continue until militants are pushed out of the entire country, specifically referring to Idlib.
Meanwhile, President Putin stressed in response to his Turkish counterpart’s request for an immediate ceasefire in Syria’s Idlib province, that while he agreed that a truce was necessary, the fact that the majority of militants in Idlib are members of Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State revoked any chance for a cessation of hostilities. “There are no representatives of armed opposition here at our table and moreover there are no representatives of Nusra Front or ISIS and the Syria army. Its means in my opinion – and I believe the Turkish president is right in general, it would be good (to have a ceasefire) – but we cannot speak for them moreover we cannot say for Nusra Front terrorists or ISIS that they will stop shooting or they will stop using drones with bombs,” Putin emphasized. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on his part, warned during a trilateral press conference with his Russian and Iranian counterparts, that Turkey would no longer accept refugees from its southern neighbor. “There are escapes from this area right now and as you know, we have a 115-km-long (71-mile) border (with Syria) in the west. There is an incline towards our border. But in general terms, we have the longest border with Syria, and where is the place that Idlib people will run away in this border? Turkey.” / “As Turkey, right now we are hosting 3.5 million (Syrian refugees). Idlib’s population is 3.5 million people with now. Turkey does not have the resources or power to host a further 3.5 million people. We need to take a joint step to prevent migration from this area. We need to be successful in the fight against terror to do that,” Turkish President Erdogan stated. He further warned that any attack on Idlib will culminate in a disaster, massacre and a major humanitarian tragedy.