Turkey completes withdrawal from largest observation post in Idlib

IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – On Monday morning, Turkish forces completely withdrew from their ninth observation point in the city of Morek in the northern countryside of Hama, days after the withdrawal began.

A filed source from the city of Morek said that Turkish military vehicles and trucks carrying logistical equipment and concrete beams left the Turkish point heading towards Idlib Governorate.

Morek checkpoint, which has been besieged by the Syrian government forces since the beginning of 2020, was the Turkish largest military point in the de-escalation zone.

The German News Agency quoted government sources as saying that government engineering mechanisms will begin to remove the berms in the vicinity of the base near the Damascus-Aleppo road.

Earlier, an informed source told North Press that Turkish forces would withdraw from the points of Morek, Shermagar, Sarman, and Ma’ar Hatat and station in other areas in southern Idlib governorate.

During the past periods, the Turkish point in Morek has witnessed several protests by pro-Syrian government protestors calling on Turkish forces to leave the area.

The government forces’ control of the areas in the northern countryside of Hama and the southern countryside of Idlib at the beginning of 2020 led to the siege of 13 Turkish military posts.

Since October 2017, Turkey began establishing military points in northwestern Syria after it reached an agreement with Russia to establish a de-escalation zone.