AggressionAnalysisAsiaDefenceDiplomacyEuropeFeaturesGlobal IssuesICGMiddle EastPoliticsRussiaSecuritySocietySyrian Civil WarWorld
Deadly Clashes in Syria’s Idlib Show Limits of Turkey’s Options
A deadly attack on Turkish forces in Syria has brought Idlib’s crisis to a dangerous crossroads
In this Q&A, Crisis Group’s Turkey, Syria and Russia experts explain what happened and what’s at stake.
- What happened?
An airstrike killed at least 33 Turkish soldiers in Idlib, in the north west of Syria, on 27 February, according to Turkish state media.
The strike exacted the highest death toll upon the Turkish military in any single day’s action for more than two decades.
Ankara mainly blamed the Syrian regime for the attack on what it called a two-story command headquarters, but hinted as well at…