NATO offers Turkey condolences & solidarity, but no additional military aid amid Idlib crisis

On a request from Ankara, NATO members held consultations on the situation in Idlib, Syria, where 33 Turkish soldiers have been killed. But the alliance failed to pledge additional military aid to its member.

The Allies offered “their deepest condolences” to Turkey and expressed solidarity, but stopped short from taking any more practical measures after the Friday emergency meeting. Other members of the bloc are already supporting Turkey, “including by augmenting its air defenses, which helps Turkey against the threat of missile attacks from Syria” and conducting patrols of AWACS air reconnaissance planes, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference.

He also used the opportunity to condemn the Syrian government and Russia, blaming them for “indiscriminate air strikes” in Idlib, but failed to mention violence by jihadist groups in the province targeting Syrian troops.

The meeting was called by Ankara after 33 of its soldiers were killed in Idlib in a Syrian airstrike. Moscow said the Turkish troops were mingled with fighters of “terrorist forces,” and that Ankara failed to inform Russia of the presence of its troops in the area.

“Allies will continue to follow developments on the South-eastern border of NATO very closely,” Stoltenberg said.

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