Ankara, Angered by Airstrikes Against Associates, Advises: Army is Able

Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday threatened to relaunch military offensives in northern Syria, in retaliation to a recent Russian airstrike against Turkish-backed fighters and a bombing carried out by Kurdish forces on Turkish troops. “Russia’s attack targeting the Syrian National Army forces training center is a sign that a lasting peace and calm is not wanted in the region,” Ankara’s strongman said, warning, “We have a legitimate reason to intervene at any moment we feel the need to.” The Russian strike in Idlib earlier this week was the deadliest since the two sides reached a truce in March. Russia and Turkey have been at continually growing odds in recent months, with proxy wars in Libya, the Caucasus and Syria heating up.