Germany urges UK, France to help Turkey support Syria refugees

Syrian families, who have been forced to displace due to the ongoing attacks carried out by the Assad regime and Russia, are seen on their way to safer zones with their belongings on 19 January 2020 [Ibrahim Dervis/Anadolu Agency]

Germany yesterday stressed the importance of the negotiations with Turkey on the humanitarian catastrophe in Idlib amid recent attacks by the regime and its allies.

Addressing reporters in Berlin, Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer shared deep concern over recent regime attacks targeting civilians in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, Anadolu reported.

“How we can prevent a humanitarian catastrophe there, how can we avoid the expulsion of people trapped in this region…these questions have not been satisfactorily answered yet,” she said.

“I believe that this requires an international approach. Therefore, it’s good that we, as the E3 countries [Germany, France and the UK], will continue our discussions with [Turkish] President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan,” she added.

READ: Why the Idlib agreement won’t hold

On Monday, Erdogan warned the international community that close to one million refugees are waiting at the Turkish border.

On Tuesday, the Turkish president spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the phone to discuss the latest developments in Libya and Syria, according to Turkey’s Communications Directorate.

Cumhurbaşkanımız @RTErdogan, Almanya Başbakanı Angela Merkel ile telefon görüşmesi gerçekleştirdi.

İki liderin görüşmesinde, Suriye ve Libya'daki son gelişmeler ele alındı. https://t.co/YG5ZFSFt5n pic.twitter.com/02OK552jif

— T.C. İletişim Başkanlığı (@iletisim) February 4, 2020

The UN has also called for a rapid de-escalation and return to peace negotiations in Idlib after Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad regime killed Turkish soldiers in Syria.

READ: 8 civilians killed in Syria’s Idlib by regime strikes

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