A major military operation is underway in Syria's Idlib Province. The announcement was made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and comes only a few weeks after the area was declared a de-escalation zone by Russia, Iran and Turkey during the Astana peace talks. CGTN's Michal Bardavid has more on Turkey's latest security moves.

 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that rebels with the Free Syria Army have launched a military operation in northwest Syria with the help of Turkish armed forces.

 

RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN TURKISH PRESIDENT Today, there's a serious operation in Idlib and it will continue, because we have our brothers there who came to Idlib fleeing violence in Aleppo.

 

Military observers say jihadist groups in the region, mainly groups such as the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as the al-Nusra Front - were given options prior to the start of the operation.

 

METE YARAR MILITARY SECURITY EXPERT Two offers were made to al-Nusra: one was to leave the territory under its own free will, and two, the groups affiliated with al-Nusra could defect and be allowed to live there or be taken out of the territory by force.

 

One critical component of the operation is the potential humanitarian fallout.

 

METE YARAR MILITARY SECURITY EXPERT When you look at it in terms of refugees, there is a large group of people living in Idlib - these are people who couldn't flee the area and want to stay in Syria. That's why it's one of the most significant areas.

 

But security issues facing Turkey are not just limited to the Syrian border.

 

MICHAL BARDAVID ISTANBUL Earlier this week, Turkish counterterrorism forces killed five suspected members of the PKK Kurdistan Worker's Party at a popular resort in Turkey's southwestern Mugla Province. The PKK is deemed a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU. The Turkish interior minister said they had entered the country from the Aegean and Mediterranean seas in ships departing from Syria's Latakia seaport.

 

This is a new tactic for the PKK and certainly one that Turkey's security forces will prepare for, but right now the focus is on Idlib.

 

It's not clear how large-scale the newly launched Idlib operation will be and whether Turkish armed forces will cross into Syria - but they are ready as Turkish military reinforcements can be seen building up at the border. Michal Bardavid, CGTN, Istanbul.