Turkish self-propelled artillery guns attacking Tal Abyad in northern Syria. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)

 

Turkey will not withdraw from its observation posts in the Syrian rebel bastion province of Idlib which has seen an increase in violence carried out by regime forces supported by Russian airstrikes, the Turkish Defense Minister said. 

The posts were established under a September 2018 deal between Syrian regime ally Moscow and Ankara, which backs the rebels, to avert an all-out Syrian government onslaught in Idlib.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces surrounded one of 12 Turkish observation posts in Idlib province on December 23 after overrunning nearby areas in a push to take the last opposition holdout. 

"We respect the agreement reached with Russia and we expect Russia to abide by this agreement," Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said in comments on Sunday on the defense ministry's Twitter account. "We will by no means empty those 12 observation posts, we will not leave there." 

His comments came during a visit, together with top army commanders, to the southern province of Hatay on the Syrian border to inspect Turkish troops on Saturday.

Turkey, worried over a new wave of refugees from the Idlib region, is pressing for a fresh cease-fire deal, as it sent a delegation to Moscow on Monday.