Turkey Saves Syrian Military Pilot

A Syrian military aircraft crashed near the Syrian/Turkish border on Sunday, BBC News reported.

The pilot was found after a nine-hour search, and was taken to a hospital in Turkey’s Hatay province for treatment, according to Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu.

The Islamist opposition group Ahrar al-Sham tweeted a video claiming the plane had been shot down, but the government has not yet confirmed the reason the pilot crashed.

Hatay’s governor said the crash did not seem to be a case of border violation, and Turkey’s deputy prime minister Nurettin Canikli said Ankara was investigating why the plane crashed in Turkey and to which operation it belonged, the Independent reported.

“A decision regarding [whether he will be sent to Syria] will be made once we clarify all details of this incident,” he said.

Turkey supports rebel factions fighting the Syrian government, and has troops in Syria targeting the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) and Kurdish forces. In 2015, Ankara shot down a Russian warplane it accused of violating its borders. Since then, Turkey and Russia have warmed relations. Russia is a key ally of the Syrian government.

Netanyahu Says He Will Meet Putin to Oppose Iranian Presence in Syria

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin on Thursday to complain about Iran’s role in Syria, Reuters reported.

“In the framework of a (future peace agreement) or without one, Iran is attempting to base itself permanently in Syria – either through a military presence on the ground or a naval presence – and also through a gradual attempt to open a front against us on the Golan Heights,” Netanyahu said on Sunday. “I will express to President Putin Israel’s vigorous opposition to this possibility.”

Iran is the Syrian government’s key ally, providing and backing ground troops, including from the powerful Lebanese militia Hezbollah. Russia, another Syrian government ally, has assumed the role of key power-broker in the Syrian conflict, sponsoring a recent cease-fire and peace talks.

In November, the chief of Iran’s armed forces said Tehran may set up naval bases in Syria. Israel has carried out dozens of airstrikes in Syria to prevent weapons smuggling to Hezbollah, Netanyahu said.

Tens of Thousands Displaced in Northern Syria by Offensives on ISIS, U.N. Says

More than 66,000 people have fled clashes in northern Syria according to the U.N., Al Jazeera reported.

The displaced people have come under fire in recent weeks due to several operations targeting ISIS. “This includes nearly 40,000 people from al-Bab city and nearby Taduf town, as well as 26,000 people from communities to the east of al-Bab,” the U.N.’s humanitarian agency OCHA said.

The “high contamination” of unexploded bombs and mines left by ISIS militants is making it increasingly difficult for people to return to their homes, OCHA said.

RECOMMENDED READS:

• The Associated Press: U.N. Mediator Wraps up ‘Tough’ Syria Talks in Geneva
• The New York Times: U.S. Strengthens Its Forces in a Crowded Syrian Battlefield
• Brookings: Rebuilding or Redefining Syria?
• Atlantic Council: It’s Time to Plan for Rebuilding Syria
• Al Jazeera: Syria’s War: ISIL’s Explosive Legacy