Turkish forces are seen near Mount Barsaya, northeast of Afrin, Syria January 23, 2018. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
The Turkish military is working to establish four new observation posts in the southern countryside of Syria’s Idlib, the pro-opposition Syria TV revealed on February 27.
“Turkey leased real estates and farms in the area between Tell Sultan and Saraqib in order to establish four new posts with the aim of observing the implementation of the de-escalation agreement,” the Turkey-based channel said in its report.
Last year, the Turkish military established twelve observation posts in western Aleppo, southern Idlib, northern Hama, and northern Lattakia. These posts were established under an agreement, which was reached within the framework of the Astana work group on Syria. Later, they became a part of the demilitarized zone agreement.
Syria TV also confirmed that the Turkish military will begin patrolling the demilitarized zone around Idlib next month. This step is a part of a new Russian-Turkish attempt to revive the de-escalation agreement.
Pro-government sources believe that Turkey is taking advantage of its agreements with Russia and Iran to expand its influence in northwestern Syria and protect radical militants there. One of the most important signals that the de-escalation agreement is collapsing is that militants have stepped up their attacks on government-controlled areas recently.
