Turkey will strike Syrian army forces “everywhere” if its soldiers come under renewed attacks, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Wednesday, while also accusing Russia of committing “massacres” in Idlib.

Erdogan’s threats follow direct clashes between Turkish and the Syrian army forces over the past 10 days, which have also strained his relations with Moscow, the key backer of President Bashar al-Assad.

“I hereby declare that we will strike regime forces everywhere from now on regardless of the Sochi deal if any tiny bit of harm comes to our soldiers at observation posts or elsewhere,” Erdogan told a meeting of his ruling party in parliament.

He said 14 Turks have been killed and 45 wounded by Syrian shelling in Idlib since February 3.

Source: AFP