Erdogan fears the consequences of displacement from Idlib to Turkey

Turkish President Erdogan expressed his concerns regarding the displacement of residents of Idlib and northwestern Syria towards the Turkish territories, in conjunction with raising the issue of the destruction of Aleppo.

During a press conference with the Czech prime minister Andrej Babiš, Erdogan said that any displacement movement from Idlib would be towards Turkey. “We are the ones who would suffer the consequences, and we are the ones who have a 910-kilometer borders with Syria, and any fire there will burn us in turn, not other countries”.

Erdogan pointed to the US-led Global Coalition’s latest strike which targeted a terrorist group in Idlib governorate, pointing at the same time to the killing of more than 700 civilians, as he expressed.

“There may be armed members in Idlib who are involved in terrorism, but Idlib is being destroyed slowly. Just as Aleppo was destroyed, Idlib is undergoing a similar scenario”, Erdogan added. 

According to media reports he stressed that he is holding talks with Russia, as there will be Turkish-Russian-Iranian talks soon, in order to “take some steps before Geneva meetings”.

Moreover, he was likely to meet with the U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

The Syrian government forces had taken control of most of the city of Aleppo at the end of 2016, after an agreement with the armed opposition groups in Aleppo, amid accusations by the Syrian opposition to Turkey of “selling” the city of Aleppo in exchange of a green light to enter Jarablus, al-Bab and the northern countryside of Aleppo.