BEIRUT -- Syria's envoy to the United Nations blasted Turkey on Tuesday over its growing influence in the northern part of his country, calling it an "occupation" and vowing to "expel" Turkish troops.
Turkey, a main backer of Syria's opposition, has sent troops into northern Syria to battle the Islamic State and Kurdish militants. It has also deployed troops in the opposition stronghold of Idlib province as part of a de-escalation agreement with Iran and Russia, both of which are close allies of the Syrian government.
Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari on Tuesday condemned the presence of the Turkish troops, saying the government remains determined to regain control over all of Syria and will not tolerate Turkey's long-term presence.
"We will expel them," he said of the Turkish troops.
Ja'afari spoke during the 10th round of talks hosted by Russia in Sochi, which involved Turkey, Iran, Russia, the Syrian government and representatives of the opposition.
His comments came amid speculation that the government will launch a major offensive in Idlib province after it drove rebels out of areas around Damascus and southwestern Syria.
Ja'afari said the de-escalation agreement "tests" whether Turkey is serious about fighting "terrorist groups." President Bashar Assad's government refers to all opposition fighters as terrorists.
The Russian presidential envoy for Syria, Aleksandr Lavrentyev, dismissed what he called "rumors" of an imminent offensive in Idlib province, but he said that between 300 and 500 people have left the provincial capital through corridors maintained by the Russian military.
Idlib province is home to more than 3 million people, nearly half of them displaced from other parts of Syria, including armed groups that refused to accept the restoration of government authority after military offensives and capitulation deals.
"There is not talk and cannot be any talk of any operation, any large-scale offensive in Idlib," Lavrentyev said, according to Russia's Interfax news agency. "The only issue we raise, and raise it quite firmly, is that it is necessary to stop the activity of terrorist groups" in the province.
Lavrentyev also announced that the Russian-backed military operation in southwestern Syria is over. The offensive, which began June 19, has uprooted armed opposition groups from Daraa and Quneitra provinces. For the first time since 2014, Syrian troops have regained control along the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, though they are still battling the remnants of an Islamic State-linked group.
Ja'afari said Syria reserves the right to retake Idlib province militarily if reconciliation talks fail. But the province is home to some of the most hard-line opposition groups, including al-Qaida-linked militants who have been excluded from all peace efforts.
Turkey said in a statement that the truce in Idlib province is a "main component" of its agreements with Russia and Iran, saying "its functionality must be preserved."
A Section on 08/01/2018