The US is taking Turkey’s security concerns seriously in Syrian province of Idlib as confrontation between Ankara and Bashar al-Assad regime’s grows, a senior State Department official said Wednesday.
“TURKEY IS KEY NATO ALLY”
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Christopher Robinson told the Senate Foreign Relations committee that Turkey has been facing threats from its Syrian border, citing Iran and Russian as the sources of the menace.
“While we have some differences with government of Ankara on certain issues, we are engaged with them, because we take their security concerns seriously,” said Robinson. “Turkey is key NATO ally and it is a key player in regional security issues. We continue to engage with them.”
His remarks came after Assad regime forces continued attacks on civilians and the recent attack on Turkish troops that martyred at least five Turkish soldiers and injured many others in Syria’s northwestern Idlib.
“Turkey has just suffered serious losses from soldiers in Syria at the hand of Assad regime backed by the Russian government,” said the senior U.S. official. Robinson said Turkey has been calling for Russia to fulfill its responsibilities on what is happening in the war-torn country.
“Russia is not honoring its commitments. This is continuing problem. They say one thing, but their acts tell another story,” he added.