The two countries support opposing sides in Syria war and accuse each other of violating truce deals in the region ANKARA: Turkey has increased security around Russia’s embassy after its ambassador said he had received death threats. The two countries support opposing sides in the Syrian civil war, with Russia backing the regime and Turkey backing the rebels, but tensions spiked following an escalation of violence in the rebel-held province of Idlib and the advance of regime forces who encircled Turkey’s 10 observation points. The two countries have also accused each other of violating cease-fire agreements in the region after 13 Turkish soldiers were killed by shelling from Russia-backed Syrian regime forces. Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, Alexei Yerkhov, told Sputnik Turkey that he had been verbally threatened amid nose-diving bilateral relations. He said that the messages told him to “say goodbye to life” and that it was time for him to “burn.” His predecessor Andrei Karlov was assassinated in Ankara by an off-duty policeman during the opening of an exhibition. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow expected Ankara to ensure the safety of all Russians, as well as embassy staff, living in Turkey. But members of Russia’s State Duma had tougher words. “Is that such a Turkish diplomatic tradition?” State Duma Deputy Alexei Zhuravlev wrote on Facebook. “The Russian Foreign Ministry needs to demand from Ankara the security of our ambassador and the entire Russian diplomatic corps in this country. In the absence of mutual understanding, diplomatic relations can be frozen. The life of our people is more dear!” Aydin Sezer, an Ankara-based analyst on Turkey-Russia relations, said that Idlib and diplomatic missions may turn into a critical target for those wishing to sabotage ties between the two countries. “I think that such threats, if they are real, could come from specific segments, like jihadists groups and some intelligence groups,” he told Arab News. “If they succeed ... it would create significant outcomes regarding Turkey’s diplomatic representations.” He added that Turkish authorities had in the last few days opted for a milder tone regarding their messaging on Idlib, positioning the Syrian regime as their target instead of Russia. Russia’s Foreign Ministry meanwhile has intensified its criticism against Devlet Bahceli, the leader of a Turkish party allied to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), who said that Russia did not have good intentions in Syria because it was playing both sides. FASTFACT Turkish authorities had in the last few days opted for a milder tone regarding their messaging on Idlib, positioning the Syrian regime as their target instead of Russia, according to an expert. “We won’t be reassured until the killer (President Bashar) Assad goes away,” Bahceli said during a parliamentary meeting. “Assad is a killer and the source of enmity. Russia, which tries to handle Turkey and Syria at the same time, does not have good intentions. It’s our sincere wish for the government to revise its relations with Russia.” Moscow called on Turkey to refrain from making provocative statements on Idlib that undermined the “constructive dialogue between the two countries.” Sezer said that the Kremlin had criticized Bahceli because any statement coming from him was seen as coming from the Turkish government. The Russian-backed Syrian military offensive had achieved its core aim of securing the M5 highway between Damascus and Aleppo, according to independent Syria analyst Danny Makki, and he said it was possible there would be an advance into Idlib city, the provincial capital held by the opposition since 2015, to try and break Idlib into two. “However, this all rests on the level of Turkish resistance they will face,” Makki told Arab News. “So far, any genuine Turkish military confrontation will come at a high loss of the Syrian army, and despite the fact that it has numerous Turkish observation posts surrounded, Turkey can still stall the Idlib offensive if it chooses to.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the country would do “whatever necessary” to push back regime forces behind the observation posts, giving an ultimatum to the Syrian president to retreat before the end of the month. Makki regarded this period as being used to gain as many advantages as possible before that time came. “The downing of two helicopters is also worrying for the Syrian military, which may seek to hold back from further advances after securing the M5. Turkey is raising the stakes the more it pours manpower and weaponry into Idlib, and if the Syrian advance continues, a confrontation will be inevitable.”