Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu urges ‘peaceful solution’ for Syria’s Idlib
BUCHAREST
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has called for a “peaceful solution” in Syria’s Idlib as a regime assault on the northwestern province looms.
“Our proposal is clear. Attacks should stop. Let’s work together to finish the presence of terror groups [in Idlib],” Çavuşoğlu said during a joint press conference with his Romanian and Polish counterparts in Bucharest on Sept. 11.
Underscoring the necessity of preventing civilian casualties, he further called on Russia, Iran, the U.S., France and the U.K. as well as all other partners and actors in Syria to work together and find peaceful solution.
“I call on everyone to raise their voices against the Syrian regime’s aggression and find a peaceful solution,” he added.
The Syrian regime recently announced plans to launch a major military offensive in Idlib, which has long been controlled by various armed opposition groups.
The U.N. warned last week that such an offensive would lead to the “worst humanitarian catastrophe in the 21st century.”
Located near the Turkish border, Idlib is home to more than 3 million Syrians, many of whom fled from other cities following attacks by regime forces.
On Sept. 7, Erdoğan called for a ceasefire in Idlib during a tripartite summit in Tehran with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Çavuşoğlu paid a visit Romania on Sept. 11 to participate in the fourth meeting of political-military consultations among the foreign ministers of Turkey, Romania and Poland.
During the consultations, the three ministers have evaluated the results of the NATO Brussels Summit and exchanged views on the current security challenges in the Euro-Atlantic region.
