This combination of pictures created on September 6, 2018 shows (L to R): Iran's President Hassan Rouhani speaking on September 22, 2016 in New York; Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a press conference on May 15, 2018 in London; and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a televised phone-in on June 7, 2018 in Moscow. (AFP photo)
TEHRAN, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said here on Friday that Turkey would not allow bloodshed to take place in the northern Syrian province of Idlib.
The parties involved in the conflict of Idlib should practice "patience and use wisdom" to solve the issue in Idlib, Erdogan said in an address to a summit in the capital Tehran attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
Turkey understands the concerns of Iran and Russia over the presence of the terrorist groups in Idlib, he said, adding that "we also expect our friends to consider our concerns as well."
"Any attack on Idlib will result in tragedy and the massacre of the civilians, ... and 3.5 million people will be affected," he said.
Besides, many dislocated people will be flooded to Turkey's borders, which is out of Ankara's control, he warned.
"We don't want Idlib to be turned into a bloodbath," he stressed.
Ankara fears that an imminent military operation by the Syrian government in Idlib, to destroy terrorists, can trigger a flood of refugees to Turkey.