On August 30th, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey, Russia and Iran are working together to avoid a “disaster” in Idlib. As reported by PressTV this came as the Syrian Army is preparing for a “decisive battle” to drive militants out of the northern province of Idlib.
“We are carrying out work together with the Russians and the Iranians to prevent the catastrophe which took place in Aleppo from repeating in Idlib. We are also engaged in talks with the US [authorities], we are looking for ways to clear Manbij of terrorists,” Erdogan said during his speech in Ankara, cited by Sputnik.
Idlib shares borders with Turkey and is currently under the control of various militant groups. Erdogan is attempting to stave off the offensive while the Syrian army prepares to retake the region. As reported by Sputnik: “Idlib is one of the Syrian areas where terrorists and militants, particularly those who are part of the Jabhat Nusra terror group or affiliated with it, are still active. Moreover, thousands of militants have been transported to the province from other Syrian regions under deals with Damascus.”