Four people were killed and at least 20 others wounded in overnight protests across northwest Syria following clashes between armed protestors and Turkish forces on Monday, a war monitor reported. 

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), four people were killed and 20 others were wounded to varying degrees of severity in clashes and random shootings that happened on the Syrian-Turkish border strip. 

The UK-based SOHR reported that of the four people killed, three were in Afrin and another in Jarablus. 

The protests were triggered by a rampage on Syrian-owned businesses in Turkey’s Kayseri province on Sunday.

As a result of Turkish operations against Kurdish forces in Northern Syria, Turkey has seized control of several border territories in north Aleppo, Raqqa, Hassakeh since 2016. 

According to AFP, some armed protestors in al-Bab area shot at Turkish vehicles, while SOHR reported that other protestors attempted to remove Turkish flags along the Jarablus border.

The Monday escalations come as there are regional efforts to bring Turkish and Syrian authorities closer together.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday did not rule out a potential meeting with Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad.

Meanwhile, sources confirmed to The New Region on Sunday that Iraq is planning to mediate talks between Ankara and Damascus.

The meeting will not be at a presidential level, though security officials from both countries will be present, The New Region understands.

Relations between Turkey and Syria have for years been strained. Turkey has moved into Syrian territory in its hunt for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and its military backbone the People’s Defense Units (YPG), who are considered enemies by both Ankara and Damascus.

Addressing members of his party early in June, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that Turkish cross-border operations have been in a bid to eliminate the “terrorist” threat on the country and that his government will not retreat from their operations.
 
“Turkey cannot reach peace and feel safe without the terror-producing swamps in Iraq and northern Syria being dried up,” Turkish state media quoted Erdogan as saying.