"I asked Mr Putin: 'what's your business there? If you establish a base, do so but get out of our way and leave us face to face with the regime," Erdoğan said.

"We will not close those doors ...Why? Because the European Union should keep its promises," said Erdoğan, referring to the deal signed between Turkey and EU to stop refugees crossing from its borders after a 2015 migrant crisis.    

"18,000 migrants have amassed on the Turkish borders with Europe since on Feb. 28. The number could reach as many as 30,000 on Feb. 29. We are not in a situation to handle a new wave of refugees from Syria," Erdoğan stated.

"We would not want things to reach this point but as they force us to do this, they will pay a price," he underlined.

Erdoğan went to say said: "The actual target of the scenario we are faced with is not Syria but Turkey. Those who get what they want in Syria will immediately turn their crosshairs on Turkey. It is worse than unwary to think that those who have effectively divided Syria into three parts will respect Turkey’s integrity."

"To Turkey, the Syrian issue is by no means an adventure or an effort to expand its borders"

"To Turkey, the Syrian issue is by no means an adventure or an effort to expand its borders,"  Erdoğan said. "During our struggle on the ground in Syria, we have taken special care to maintain diplomacy and dialogue with the powers active in the region. Although most of the promises given to us have not been kept, we have exerted special efforts to keep this avenue open. The Idlib issue emerged as a matter deliberately designed and provoked to corner our country and to take away our other achievements."

Noting that it would be wrong to assess the issue solely in terms of Idlib, President Erdoğan said: "What should be looked at here is Turkey’s Syrian policy in its entirety. If we do not clear our Syrian borders of terrorist organizations today, the picture we will be faced with tomorrow is evidently clear. We will have to put up the fight, which we abstain to do in Qamishli, Ras al-Ayn, Tel Abyad, Ayn al-Arab, Jarabulus, Manbij, al Bab, Idlib today, in Şırnak, Mardin, Şanlıurfa, Gaziantep and Hatay tomorrow. The actual target of the scenario we are faced with is not Syria but Turkey. Those who get what they want in Syria will immediately turn their crosshairs on Turkey."

34 Turkish soldiers were killed and 36 wounded in a bombing attack conducted by Syrian regime between the towns of Baluon and Al-Bara in Idlib on Thursday.

Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Friday that Turkey’s retaliation for the attack on its troops in Idlib killed over 300 Syrian soldiers, while destroying dozens of Syrian helicopters, tanks and howitzers. (ILKHA)