FILE IMAGE: yenisafak.com
Om October 9, the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) officially announced that it started conducting reconnaissance activities in Syria’s Idlib province on October 8.
According to the TAF’s statement, the Turkish military acitivy in the region is conducted within a framework of the agreement reached by Tehran, Ankara and Moscow during the Astana talks.
In Astana, the sides agreed to establish four de-escalation zones in Syria, including the militant-held province of Idlib where Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) plays a key role among the so-called opposition.
The announcement followed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement that Ankara was going to deploy its forces in Idlib province where Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) gorups launched some military operation.
Meanwhile, a meeting allegedly took place between HTS representatives and Turkish officers in Darat Izza town in northwestern Aleppo. The sides reportedly discussed the upcoming Turkish intervention in Syria. Some sources speculated that HTS might surrender its positions near the Kurdish-held area in northwestern Syria to Turkish forces.
So far, actions of the FSA and the TAF didn’t go beyond the statements about the so-called “military operation” in Idlib province. Most likely, Anakra is attempting to reach an agrement with HTS that would allow it to declare a success in the area without combating the terrorist group.
terrorists are all the same …. scumbags … the legitimate resistance fighters are syrians and her true allies/ russian led coalition
As the SDF is the only army within Syria fully comprising out of Syrians, thank you on their behalf.
They are as it’s stated by their own friends US proxies and not revolutionaries as most of the people sitting behind the commanders are US/NATO forces and they call the shots not your Assadophobics Terrorists. The SDF is more foreign than Hezbollah units even they have Syrians serving and think they will grant the Palestinian refugees citizen status in Syria, they deserve it. Liwa Al Quds are all locally born refugees so they are just as much Syrian as those other refugees Kurds , even more so.
Clips now show Turks entering Idlib.
Pro Kurd twitter sources alarmed about Turks trying taking Tel Rifaat Corridor. But that’s probaby unlikely unless Turks bring in a massive force far greater than what they have stated.
Looks like a token force of about 1,500 FSA & 600 Turks so far; so they would be easily destroyed if HTS or YPG attacked them.
Very probable.
SDF redeploying extra forces is just a wise precaution.
It will be interesting to see how many turkish mercenaries will enter the province. I rather think HTS regards them as a sort of mobile Abu Dali, now they are even bringing the arms. Like Turkey was arming IS in the ping pong war while taking their new Azaz colony.
Russia is on the clock with elections just months away. AKP lost support in major cities during referendum, so Erdogan is weak.
Russia & Turkey can ill afford to have pictures of dead or captured soldiers these days, as public support in their countries for Adventuring in Syria is limited.
I am indeed wondering where are all those, like Lena Ivaniva was talking about, thousands of turks captured, killed and wounded ?
Though I have no doubt that turkish KIA’s were underreported.
Kenny why do you act so much the poppet assessing the situation. Russia is applying an old 1991 law so those US media stations there will be required to submit to all the same things as RT in America. Now if these companies are found causing any type of fomenting action by disturbing the Russian peace in Russia…. that’s right they will be charged with sedition and treated as spies.
Turkey is already taking it’s measures and Erdogan seems to have things under control and heard there will be new restrictions there on US media companies there. This will be a real showdown now as the US tries to extricate itself from all this.
This is now looking not as good as the stink tanks were determining it would be , looks like there will be. Looks as if the world is more unstable than it was 40 years ago before they started bank rolling more terrorists. What will happen should be allowed to happen as it is the end of dominant cultures like the US as the Brits realized long ago to let go.
HTS now has to contend with ISIS forces and good chance they will be caught between opposing forces soon. The IRGC will more than hold onto the town as there will be reinforcements incoming with the deescalation deal, Russia will be in the middle and new players are joining the game. China is bankrolling the reconstruction as they will also start playing a military role soon along with Egypt also coming into play in Syria. The game is changing too fast for US policy analysts are bargaining for, well they can’t have it all can they?
Turks have been bleeding since beginning of this WAR.
A few thousands turkish soldiers and officers had been killed. A few thousands turkish soldiers and officers had been wounded. a few thousands turkish soldiers and officers had been captued by Syrians and Hezbollah.
Why…………….
Turks had been serving as canonfodder for zioNazi israelis.
What kind of map you are? Turkey wasnt in syrian war. Turkey lost just 50-60 soldier in europhates shield. Thats all.
Turkey is now ally with syria russia iraq iran.
These forces must unite against usa and his puppet israeli kurds(pyd-barzani)
internal conflicts in the Syria at the last stage. Soon israeli-syrian war will begin.
I foresee at least two other stages :
SAA – HTS and, maybe, SAA SDF.
There will be no Israeli – Syrian war in the short term. Syria hardly has any army left, no airforce and a country in ruins. They will not start a war soon.
Nor will Israel start a war there, maybe with an exception if there are many Hezbollah stationed there.
actually syrias army has been drasticaly improved with all the altest russian equipment…and they got a free airforce of their own gift from russia…also thier army is full of veterans…atm syrian army is one of the best armies in the area
War between major countries that are members of broader alliances themselves are a big no no for the offices of foreign policy nowadays imo. If things escalate from the proxy style war to a worldwide front, the damages would be huge for both those who lose and those who win, and the decision makers know that really well. In the era of asymmetrical balance of power, the developed countries realized that in an all out war, they have far more to lose that the countries they have been plundering for centuries to sustain their power. By that, I mean that I wish Israel would try something that stupid because they deserve a good deal of redemption, but I think they won’t pursue this war that soon. I think it is all up to how US decides to move on this one.
New development :
An IS assault on HTS positions in SE Idlib, creating a new IS pocket of some 400kms2?
Info from liveuamap.com
Strange….
Yes ISIS has been there 10 days already they gathered those factions to them, what did HTS expect they thought their Attacking SAA in the region wouldn’t let anyone else attack them. ISIS is there and they want to expand and may turn HTS members to their cause which should give many a pause for thought.
The Turks do not need to do reconnaissance, the Turks control train, arm and finance terrorists in Idlib.
How do you know that?
Mr. Jackson
How does IS in northern Syria, Idlib get its finance, training, arms, logistics, etc?
Where did you disappear?
Ashkenazim trolls on UkrNazzi portals miss you!