Security summit reiterates Turkey's commitment to retaliate to Assad's attack in Idlib

A security summit was convened under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's chairmanship late Monday.

Vice President Fuat Oktay, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Chief of Staff Yaşar Güler, National Intelligence Organization (MİT) chief Hakan Fidan, head of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) İsmail Demir and Communications Director Fahrettin Altun attended the meeting.

The summit reiterated "resolve to retaliate in kind" to Assad regime's recent attack in Syria's Idlib that killed 5 Turkish soldiers.

"Turkey is in Idlib to prevent a new humanitarian tragedy, a possible refugee wave and clashes; and no attack will make it give up on its commitment," a statement released after the summit said.

The statement came after the soldiers were killed by the regime forces in an attack, in which five others were also wounded.

The attack targeted a Turkish observation point at eastern Idlib's Taftanaz Airport with heavy artillery.

The regime and its supporters have been violating the Sochi agreement that was reached on Sept. 17 by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

According to the agreement, the cease-fire in the Idlib region would be preserved, with the withdrawal of heavy arms and radicals from the region. Prior to the agreement, the Assad regime was signaling a huge operation on Idlib, which is the last stronghold of the opposition, sparking deep fears in the international community of a new humanitarian crisis.