Turkish FM goes to Moscow to prevent Idlib operation

Turkey, which has this year set up 13 military compounds and positions in Idlib, is determined to avert the coming Russian-Iranian-Syrian offensive to recover this northern province, the last Syrian bastion remaining in rebel hands. To this end, Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu traveled to Moscow and sat down on Friday with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. DEBKAfile adds that other high officials in Moscow last week on the same errand included Turkish Chief of Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar and MIT intelligence chief Hakan Fidan. Ankara is concerned that the Idlib operation will send another million Syrian refugees fleeting across the border into Turkey, on top of the 2.8 million the country already hosts.