CaseyStrunk
Defense Minister Mark Esper said the US Air Force would not support Turkish forces in the Syrian war in Idlib province.
"US support for Turkey does not include air support firepower," Defense Secretary Mark Esper said at a press conference in Washington on March 2, answering questions about how the United States backed its allies. Turkey during a military campaign in Idlib, northwestern Syria.
Smoke rose from the village of Balyun, in northwestern Idlib province, Syria after an air raid on March 2 Photo: AFP
Esper said he discussed with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about providing additional humanitarian aid to Syrian civilians in Idlib. He also spoke with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg about the situation in Syria and said that NATO is ready for whatever happens here.
Fighting in Idlib province between the Turkish army and Syrian government troops has escalated in recent weeks, as Damascus launched a large-scale campaign with Russian air support to retake the province.
Turkey on March 1 launched its Spring Shield campaign against Syrian military targets in Idlib in retaliation for an air strike on February 28, killing 34 soldiers.
Russia confirmed its air force did not carry out the attack, and said Turkey did not notify that troops were in the same position as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militants when they were airstrikes.
However, US Army Chief of Staff Mark Milley said today that "there is no clear and reliable intelligence on which side controls the aircraft" to strike the Turkish military position on the 28th. /2.
US President Donald Trump said Jan. 29 discussed with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the request to deploy Patriot air defense missile complexes in southern Turkey. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also called on NATO allies to assist the country in air defense and intelligence in the war in Syria.
Idlib is the last territory controlled by pro-Turkish rebel groups in Syria. The Syrian army, backed by the Russian air force, launched a campaign against the region in December 2019 and recaptured many key positions, forcing Turkey to send troops in to intervene to maintain influence in Idlib. .
