A Turkish army tank stationed near the Syrian border, in Suruc, Turkey, Sept. 3, 2016. (AP Photo)
Turkey had established a central military command for the areas occupied by its military in northern and northeastern Syria, Yeni Şafak reported on August 8.
According to the Turkish newspaper, the new command, that’s called the Military Command for Operation Peace Shield (MC-OPS), will coordinate Turkish military operations in the occupied Syrian areas.
“The central command will be responsible for the areas, which were captured by the Turkish army and Turkish-backed Syrian opposition factions during their battles against the Islamic State [ISIS] and the Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF],” Yeni Şafak’s report reads, according to Enab Baladi.
The MC-OPS will control four Syrian regions, the Euphrates Shield region in northern Aleppo, the Olive Branch region in Afrin, the Peace Spring region in al-Hasakah and Raqqa as well as the Spring Shield region in Greater Idlib.
Maj. Gen. Hakan Öztekin was reportedly appointed as the commander of MC-OPS by the Turkish Supreme Military Council, YAŞ.
Yeni Şafak said the MC-OPS would be reinforced with units from the Turkish Armed Forces’ Special Forces Command, which are known as the “Maroon Berets.”
Turkey intervened in Syria in 2016 under the pretext of war with ISIS. Later, the alleged threat of Kurdish forces was used by Ankara to justify its actions in Syria. Today, tens of thousands of Turkish troops are deployed in northern and northeastern Syria.
In its public statements, Turkey claims that its forces will withdraw from Syria once a political solution is reached. However, the establishment of the MC-OPS indicates that Ankara is planning a lasting military presence in the war-torn country.
Great job Putin ! You’ve ensured Syria’s freedom for generations to come. I’m sure Turkey will leave imeediately the moment Assad asks them to.
It seemes you for many many years has been denied to understand that the Russian agenda is not Assads as commanders of the Russian army and Russia has its own agenda.
Russia likes Assad Syria as it is now apart from the oil in the SDF but also calm borderlines for it. So Putin only fight, so Assads had no fighting borderlines.
Russia just love good base facilities and has it know. They are there having almost an own oblask, where they can do as they please.
Their only problems are Iranians and ISIS Russia wot help Assads according Afrin. They dounderstand the Jews need it for own protection.
I think Your focus is wrong. If Turks try to expand Russians wull defend Assad and the lines of today. And thats it. Fine for him more Kurds by Afrin now are Turks and for that matter Turkmens as well.
Russians also are familiary with corruption and lazy bum macho men dying in a young age. Now corona is added too:)
” If Turks try to expand Russians wull defend Assad and the lines of today. ”
And walk straight into a NATO trap.
Nato is not even in Syria as well as Lebanon.
After taking shit for saying the exact same things since the first Astana/Idlib deal, i can find no sastisfaction in the fact that those folks here now are silent, admitting my scepticism was right.
Just anger and sadness.
North Syria gambled away for empty promises with nothing in return. On the contrary, cemented Turkish and US occupation with no realistic option on the hands of the SAA to force them out.
Only direct Russian firesupport on Turkey and the US could change this, which can and will not happen anymore with both US and Turkey united again and with NATO behind.
And everyone sceptical of the Idlib deals being attacked with empty delusions like “Trust Putin, he is a 4-D chess player”.
Well, if that is true then Erdogan is a 5-D chessplayer. Check-mated by a Turkish Islamist and Jihadi supporter Number 1.
And still some seem to underestimate Erdogan, while blindly believing that victory will come some day out of thin air.
What a fucking mess.
This all seems to be theather with all the actors just playing ” good cop bad cop ” games on all the smaller / minor countries. The reults always speeak the truth, and the truth is Syria is partioned and weakend , so is Iraq, so is Libya, now Lebanon is next. Putin purposely created this situation, he had to know what the result would be as he doesnt seem to be stupid. Therefore, he’s suspect.
Sadly i think you are right. Weakening smaller “Partners”. Devide and conquer. Profit for Russian oligarchs included.
No wonder Assad is now trying to expand to other partners like LNA, Egypt, Lebanon. And pushing again for deeper cooperation with Iran.
Or, that area is sorted for now and will be dealt with later. When rest of Syria is under Syrian control.
Making a unification like that normally says, they are big enough and also by that are allowed to act more independent.
Lots of luck with that lasting military presence.The Turkish admin cannot even stay friends with their ‘friends’ in nato, so it won’t be long before the Turkish admin get themselves into more trouble than they can handle.
The Turkish admin hope they can push out the Kurds who will go eastwards to Iraq. Can’t see the Iraqis being too pleased about that. The Turkish admin just cannot help to eventually piss off everyone they deal with. Perhaps it’s all the Pentagon training?
YPG never will go Eastwards.
Interesting material ???…
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/the-state-department-has-a-turkey-problem?_amp=true&__twitter_impression=true
“According to the Turkish newspaper, the new command, that’s called the Military Command for Operation Peace Shield (MC-OPS), will coordinate Turkish military operations in the occupied Syrian areas.”
Does that mean the command centre is located somewhere in Ar Raqqah or Al Hasakah, I’m assuming it is since they’ve called it “Peace Shield” Command centre, and the Ar Raqqah or Al Hasakah campaign is called ‘Peace Spring’. But why have the command centre all the way over here, this would be the last place I’d expect them to establish a new command centre, so maybe I’m wrong about the location, otherwise the command centre will be a long way from the bulk of the forces they’re supposed to be coordinating.
Just read the newspaper, it says that command centre established in Hatay (Antakya), it is inside of the Turkey as I expected. Building a command centre other side of the border does not make sense to me. Also, newspaper says that Peace Shield stands for the areas captured at the north Syria.
Thanks, that makes much more sense.