FILE PHOTO: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a joint news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin (not pictured) following their talks in Moscow, Russia March 5, 2020. Pavel Golovkin/Pool via REUTERS

ANKARA (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey will not shy away from taking even stronger military action than in the past in northwest Syria’s Idlib region if words are not kept regarding a ceasefire agreed last week.

In a speech to lawmakers from his AK Party in parliament, Erdogan said that small violations of the ceasefire, agreed with Russia, had begun and that Turkey’s priority was the safety of 12 observation posts which it has established in the region.