Turkey calls for no-fly zone over Syria's Idlib

Turkey on Friday called on the international community to establish a no-fly zone over the northwestern province of Idlib to protect civilians from Syrian regime bombardments a day after the killing of 33 Turkish soldiers.

"The international community must act to protect civilians and impose a no-fly-zone," Fahrettin Altun, communications director at the Turkish presidency, said on Twitter.

Syrian regime forces backed by Russian air strikes have since December clawed back chunks of the Idlib region, forcing close to a million people to flee their homes and shelters amid bitter cold.

The United Nations said Monday that the latest fighting was coming "dangerously close" to encampments of the displaced, risking an imminent "bloodbath".

"Millions of civilians are being bombarded by air for months now. Infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, is being targeted by the regime systematically. A genocide is happening slowly before our eyes. Those with conscious and dignity must speak up!" Altun tweeted.

"The regime has taken advantage of the international silence in the face of its crimes for years. Abandoning Idlib to its fate will mean that the regime's dreams will come true. They have been pursuing demographic and ethnic cleansing in this region. We cannot look the other way!" (AFP) RS RS