Turkish defence minister discusses Syria with British counterpart

Turkey’s defence minister Hulusi Akar held a meeting with his British counterpart Ben Wallace in Ankara on Thursday.

Akar received Wallace, who was in Ankara as an official guest, with a military ceremony, according to a statement from Turkey's Defence Ministry.

The main topics of discussion were regional defence and security issues, especially in Syria’s Idlib province, and the defence industry.

The two ministers emphasized their determination to stop the bloodshed in Idlib, preserving stability on Turkey's borders and preventing a humanitarian crisis in war-torn Syria.

Regarding these issues, the importance of mutual dialogue and collaboration was stressed.

The ceasefire in Idlib, which came into effect last week, was agreed by Turkey and Russia after bilateral talks and meetings in Moscow that lasted over six hours.

Under the deal, all military activities were to end there, along with the establishment of a security corridor 6 kilometres to the north and south of the key M4 highway.

On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Turkey will respond heavily if its observation posts in Idlib are targeted.

“Turkey will do more than merely retaliate if its observation posts in Idlib are targeted,” he told governing Justice and Development (AK) Party deputies at a meeting in the capital Ankara.