NATO Prepared to Send Troops to Turkey

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said President Vladimir Putin’s military buildup in the region was unacceptable and warned Russian Federation to consider its trade ties as its warships fire cruise missiles at Syria. The groups include Western-backed fighters. He said new fighting units, including one called the Fourth Assault Corps, had been set up to wage the campaign and the army now held the military initiative.

“If (the Syrian regime) weakens the opposition, it will strengthen Islamic State,” he said, warning of the risk of a new flow of refugees, who have left Syria in their millions, causing a crisis in the European Union. It was unclear how many people were killed in the fighting.

Russian Federation launched its air campaign against what it terms “terrorist” targets in Syria last week but in the process, it has infringed on key North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ally Turkey’s airspace, prompting strong protests from the US-led alliance and Ankara.

Russian Federation has dramatically altered the balance of power in the Middle East with its robust intervention in the Syrian civil war.

The Russian Military Forces are inflicting strikes on the positions of the Islamic State terrorist organization in Syria. “Without the participation of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United States of America, Iran, Iraq and neighboring states of course, this work is unlikely to be carried out successfully”.

A military source on the ground in Sahl al-Ghab told AFP that Russian air strikes had targeted at least three villages there on Thursday morning. Russian officials have said the incursions happened by mistake. “Of course, it is early to draw conclusions”.

“Russia is targeting civilians and the Free Syrian Army brigades that are supported by America”.

Russian Federation began bombing targets within Syria last week claiming to be going after ISIS. At the same time, he belittled the influence of moderate rebels on the conflict.

Russian Federation has maintained its operations over Syria have been largely aimed at the IS – also known as Daesh, ISIL and ISIS – and other militant groups.

“They had to abort striking the target”, said the official. “It needs to know this”, Erdogan said. “NATO has already responded by increasing our capacity, our ability, to deploy forces including to the south, including in Turkey”. According to the Syrian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the government push is concentrated in the adjacent provinces of Hama and Idlib where rebels have been advancing in the past months.

“NATO is ready and able to defend all allies, including Turkey, against any threats”, said Stoltenberg.

But he acknowledged the key role being played by Russian Federation, which appears bent on supporting a Syrian regime that had been badly in need of help.