Warnings of military operation against Syrian government forces in Syria’s Idlib
ISTANBUL, Turkey (North Press) – Member of the National Reconciliation Ministry of the Syrian government, Omar Rahmon, warned on Sunday, of an approaching Turkish military operation against the Syrian government forces in Idlib, northwestern Syria.
“Turkey is preparing for an upcoming battle north Idlib, where the Turkish withdrawal from some observatory posts, and its military mobilization is an obvious sign for an approaching military operation,” Rahmon posted on his official Facebook page.
on November 26, the Turkish forces evacuated a military post near Saraqib, eastern Idlib, after evacuating five other posts in the de-escalation zone.
Meanwhile, Turkey sent military reinforcements to the Syrian territories strengthening its posts in Idlib.
“Turkey withdrew from its observatory posts in the Syrian government-held areas in order not to make pressure on it, as it entered military convoys through Kafr Lossin crossing to join the Turkish forces stationed in the north,” he stated.
“After a long delay, Turkey implemented surprisingly the Russian-Turkish signed agreement in March 2019 to withdraw from all its besieged posts,” Rahmon had previously told Sputnik.
The recent Turkish moves in Idlib stressed that Turkey did not withdraw according to the agreement rather to create a space for a new battle in the post-US President Donald Trump era, according to Rahmon.
“Rahmon’s concerns are right; Turkey will remain restricted as long as there is one Turkish soldier in the government-held areas,” Ayham Abu Fares, a source of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), told North Press.
“Turkey will continue withdrawing from the government-held areas in order to secure its soldiers’ safety, and then it may follow a new policy in the area according to the Russian and government practices,” Abu Fares added.
On November 23, local sources from Idlib stated that a massive Turkish military convoy, including tanks, heavy artilleries, and military vehicles, entered Idlib.
This Turkish convoy was the “biggest” of its kind which Turkey sent to the area, local sources told North Press.
The matter “is not like that, the Russian-Turkish announced agreements are clear and there is no change in the maps, Abu Obada Idlibi, a source from the Syrian National Army (SNA), told North Press.
“Rahmon himself was threatening to launch an attack on the remained parts of Idlib, but that didn’t happen,” Idlibi stated.
“The Syrian government and Iranian-backed militias, which anticipate for any opportunity to pounce, are not the one that makes decisions rather it is Russia and its Turkish ally,” according to Idlibi.
“Turkey withdrew its forces according to an understanding with Russia,” he added.
In press statements earlier in November, Turkish sources stated that Turkey did not intend to decrease its forces in Syria, rather to re-position them.
“Russia is cooperating with Turkey on the ground, and the Idlib region is one of the most important points of cooperation between the two countries,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier.