Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday said a ceasefire had not been fully secured in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, despite an announcement by Moscow.

“We are working hard with Russia to stop these attacks. It is not possible to say a complete ceasefire has been secured,” Cavusoglu told a press conference with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian in Ankara.

Moscow announced a ceasefire was brokered with Turkey in the Idlib de-escalation zone as of midnight on June 12, after weeks of escalating rocket fire and air strikes by the Syrian government and Russian forces.

Cavusoglu said there were “serious and sincere efforts” with Moscow to stop the violence, but said a full cessation had not been realized.

He also accused the Syrian government forces of launching mortar attacks on a Turkish observation post in Idlib, injuring three soldiers.

“If the regime continues these attacks, we will do what is necessary,” Cavusoglu said and called on Russia and Iran to “fulfil their responsibility”.

For his part, Le Drian said the priority in Idlib must be to “restore calm and serenity to avoid a new humanitarian disaster.”

“We call on the Syrian regime and its supporters to stop their indiscriminate attacks against civilians in Idlib,” he said.

Source: AFP