Erdoğan says Turkey will not take step back in Syria's Idlib

Speaking during the weekly meeting of the ruling Justice and Development [AK] Party at the Grand National Assembly in the capital Ankara on Wednesday, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Turkey would not take step back in Syria's Idlib region.

"We will not take even a smallest step back in Idlib, we will certainly push the regime outside the borders we designated, and ensure the return of the people to their homes," Erdoğan told his ruling party's lawmakers in the parliament.

Turkish leader also stressed in the televised address that Turkey-led forces will push pro-Assad fighters beyond the observation posts located in the last rebel-stronghold Idlib.

In its efforts to protect civilians and stop attacks in Idlib, northwestern Syria, Turkey is looking for a way it can use the region's airspace, said Turkish president.

"Turkey's biggest problem in Idlib is not being able to use airspace, which will be hopefully resolved soon," Erdoğan said in a statement.

Russia controls the air space and has been bombing Turkey-backed rebels on a daily basis in support of an offensive by the pro-regime forces.

"We will also provide for the Syrians to return their homes."

Since Turkey and Russia reached a deal in 2018 under which acts of aggression are supposed to be prohibited in Idlib, over 1,300 civilians have been killed in the de-escalation zone.

Following intense attacks by the Assad regime and its allies, over a million Syrians have flocked towards the Turkish border.

Since the eruption of the bloody civil war in Syria in 2011, Turkey has taken in some 3.7 million fleeing Syrians, making Turkey the world's top refugee-hosting country.