QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – One day before a trilateral summit that will bring presidents of Russia, Iran and Turkey together, the Syrian Army continues to reinforce its positions in Syrian north in tandem with sending intensive reinforcements by Turkish forces and their affiliated armed Syrian opposition factions.
The trilateral summit, in the Iranian capital Tehran, will touch on the Syrian issue and the Turkish potential military operation against Syria’s north in particular.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has recently announced plans to carry out another major military cross-border incursion into northern Syria. Erdogan specified his targets in the two northern Syrian cities of Manbij and Tel Rifaat.
On July 1, Erdogan said that Ankara’s new military operation in northern Syria could begin at any moment.
“I always say that we can start [the incursion] at any moment at night. We should not worry and rush, especially since we are working in the area,” Erdogan told reporters after returning from the NATO summit in Madrid.
On Saturday, the Syrian army sent military reinforcements to Manbij through al-Tayha crossing, southwest of the city.
An eyewitness from Abu Kahf village, 30 km north of Manbij, told North Press that eight vehicles loaded with two field artillery, rocket launchers, ammunition and personnel entered from al-Tayha crossing and headed towards the front lines in Manbij.
The reinforcements come within the framework of recent understandings between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian government, with Russian guarantee, to deploy government forces along the front lines extending from al-Hoshariya village, northeast of Manbij, to al-Arima district, west of Manbij.
Hours later, the government forces brought in reinforcements to the border strip with Turkey in the countryside of Derbasiyah north of Hasakah, according to pro-government al-Watan Newspaper.
Media outlets close to the government see that these reinforcements can help halt the Turkish escalation and threats since they are deployed along the border strip.
On July 15, the SDF Commander in Chief, Mazloum Abdi, said in a press conference, that they “accepted that the Syrian Army fortifies its posts in Kobani, Manbij and border areas in order to carry out its task to protect Syrian border, and we will do what is needed to avoid war against our areas.”
Following the Turkish incursion (Peace Spring) in October 2019, Turkey signed two ceasefire agreements, one with Russia and the other with the US stipulating ceasing all hostilities and the withdrawal of the SDF 32 km away from the Turkish border.
The SDF did withdrew from the border areas according to the agreement, but Turkey continues targeting the area.
The Syrian government has deployed soldiers in some areas in northeast Syria since 2019 following the agreements.
Turkey also sends more forces to the Syrian territory, especially to both the northern and eastern countryside of Aleppo, in preparation for the new invasion.
On July 8, North Press Agency monitored the entry of a Turkish military convoy through al-Rai crossing in the northern countryside of Aleppo, heading towards the city of al-Bab east of Aleppo.
Two days earlier, Turkey sent reinforcements to Turkish-backed Sultan Murad faction stationed in Hawar Kilis region on Syrian-Turkish border north of Azaz.
Al-Watan Newspaper noted that both Russia and the Syrian government, through deploying forces in broader swaths on contact lines with Turkey, aim at defusing the Turkish military escalation and also curbing the Turkish president’s false pretenses to launch an aggression to bite new Syrian parts.
These moves come in light of preparations by Russian and Turkish delegations to head to Iran, where a presidential summit will be held, bringing together the three countries to discuss the Syrian issue.
During the summit, the Russian president and his Turkish counterpart will held a series of meetings.
Statements released by Iranian, Russian and Turkish officials indicate that the three presidents will mainly focus on the Syrian issue, a step that was successively discussed in the past the last of which was in July 2020.
“Turkish military operation in Syria will be the most important issue between Turkey and Iran in the summit.” Turkish daily newspaper Sabah said two days ago.
As Syrian north and northeast continue to witness intensive military presence by Syrian government and Turkey, Syrians place their hopes in Tehran’s summit, through which Turkey seeks to invade Tel Rifaat and Manbij.