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Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) has handed over the Wadi Deif military base to Turkish Army units operating in Syria’s Idlib province, according to pro-opposition sources.
The Wadi Deif military base is located near the town of Maarrat al-Numan in the southern countryside of Idlib. If this is not a temporary development and Turkish forces instal an observation post or a military garrison there, this will confirm that the internationally recognized terrorist group – Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – and the Turkish government has officially reached a deal over the Syrian province of Idlib.
In this case, Turkey and its local proxies will directly cooperate with the Syrian al-Qaeda instead of combating it in the area.
Currently, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is the most powerul militant group in the province of Idlib. According to experts, other militant units even if they don’t join it officially, just follow all a major part of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s decisions in the military and political sphere.
The Turkish Army officially entered into Syria’s Idlib province and took control over Darat Izza town and the nearby border villages late on October 12. Since then, Turkish forces have been steadily expanding its control in the province.
Erdogan has got the experience of dealing with unsavory, rogue, and criminal gangs where any kind of agreement is all but temporary and unbinding such as Barzani. This show just how much shortsighted, ambitious, and greedy he is.
very ‘strange’ deal. they will let them pass 33km of ‘enemy territory’ to reach the base unharmed?its more obvious now than never. Turkey and HTS were always and will always be on the same side. They just need to discuss their strategy from time to time…..Russia these are your allies, that guarantee the safe zones. What is the future of SYria with Turkey occuping the Idlib region as far as the Turkish borders?
HTS and all Al qaeda branch is just a mercenaries and will thrive in a destabilized situation that’s never in the Assad goals. Assad will restore the power to Damascus and damascus only. There’s no compromising in who get to have this city or that village as long as they are the territory of Syria. Erdogan didn’t have such view as it’s not Turkey territory being carved out. As long as they got their piece.
turkey=ISIS 400 + years caliphell
do you think that Russia was misled?i cant figure out that yet.
I’m also wondering… Let’s wait for Russia and Iran reaction (even if not public) to this latest stunt of Erfogan. I don’t think they trusted Erdogan. It was more like hoping he will comprehend what is better for him in the long run. He doesn’t seem to understand but let’s wait and see.
Iran has officially stated: “Turkish illegal prescence in Syria is a military aggression.”
I am sure that Russia was not misled. Russia though is realistic and knows that the SAA cannot successfully be active everywhere at once.
The country will be divided in a neo Ottoman colony, a persian satrapy, russian bases, northern Syria and rump Syria under Assad, dominated by Iran and Russia.
Just guessing.
well the situation seems to make your thoughts valid…..Turkey is a very tricky player. they are allies with everyone and enemies at the same time….a wild card in this strategy game. They have established control in a very large buffer zone between the Kurdish areas. now they are moving south…..who knows were they will stop.
Well russian experts were saying long ago that HTS and Turkey have their alliance. Cause all this time after battle of Aleppo HTS was supported by arms and other stuff via turkish border with Syria. If Russia did a mistake by letting Turkey in Idlib then it shows incompetence over these kind of questions by russian military and authorities.
I’m surprised that Russia didn’t think that Erdogan’s Turkey is one of those if not the main country supporting HTS. How can they not know.