Turkey views Syrian regime forces as "targets" around Turkish observation posts in Syria's northwest Idlib, a spokesman for President Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AK Party said on Monday after Ankara said a number of its soldiers were killed by Syrian regime shelling.
"The Syrian regime is from now on a target for us in the region after this attack. We expect Russia not to shield the regime or protect them because after the clear attack on our armed forces, regime forces around our posts are targets," Omer Celik said on broadcaster CNN Turk.
Celik also said the Syrian government is acting "like a terrorist organization" and that talks would be held with Russian officials over the situation in the area.
Earlier on Monday, deadly shelling by regime forces in Idlib killed four Turkish soldiers and wounded nine of them.
Turkish forces responded and destroyed targets in the Idlib region, according to a statement by the Turkish ministry.
For his part, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Turkey will continue to retaliate against attacks on its forces in Idlib.
"We have responded in kind to these attacks and will continue to do so, whether it is with our artillery or mortars. We are determined to continue our operations for the security of our country, people and our brothers in Idlib," he told
reporters in Istanbul.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Turkey's retaliation attack killed at least six Syrian regime soldiers and wounded 20 others on Monday. However, Erdogan said the ongoing operation killed 30 to 35 Syrian forces.
Erdogan who warned earlier that his country will launch a military operation in Idlib unless the fighting is halted, urged Russia on Monday not to stand in the way of Ankara's response.
Turkey has 12 military observation posts around the region, set up under a 2017 agreement with Russia and Iran. Several of them have since been surrounded by advancing Syrian regime forces, backed by Russian air power.
On Sunday, the British-based war monitor said that almost 200 Turkish military tanks and armored vehicles have entered Aleppo and Idlib since morning.
"The column of 40 military vehicles including tanks, personnel carriers, armored vehicles and military and logistical supplies, headed to the south but no information has been reported yet about its destination," it reported.
Idlib is the last major opposition-held stronghold in Syria's nearly nine-year war.
