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On October 25, several Free Syrian Army (FSA) groups agreed to join the so-called National Army under command of the Turkish-backed Syrian Interim Government, according to Turkish sources.
The agreement was reportedly reached during a meeting between Turkish officials, representatives of the Syrian Interim Government and the FSA in the Turkish city of Kilis.
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For now, only the Turkish-backed Sultan Murad Division and al-Shamiyah Front agreed to join the National Army, according to Syrian opposition sources.
According to the agreement, the two groups will hand over all their weapons, ammunition and vehicles to the command of the National Army.
The new Turkish-backed National Army should see the light after 2 months if the agreement is taken seriously. However, previously many FSA groups have made dozens of attempts to establish a joint army with no success what so ever.
Turkey is likely planning to use the new National Army to fight the Kurdish Democratic Party (PYD) and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) inside Syria. Moreover, the united force could strengthen the position of Turkey and the Syrian Interim Government in the upcoming negotiations with the Syrian government.
Meanwhile in Idlib governorate, opposition sources reported on October 25 that the Turkish Army begin building fortifications west of Afrin city in the northern Aleppo countryside.
The city is controlled by the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
W. Aleppo : #Turkish combat engineers guarded by armored vehicles construct defenses near the Simeon Citadel. pic.twitter.com/51yohccy5O
— Christian Turner (@CombatChris1) October 24, 2017
Furthermore, the Turkish Army reinforced its troops in the northern Idlib countryside with 65 military vehicles, and over 75 soldiers. The reinforcements entered the northern Idlib countryside on October 23 and 24.
The recent developments in the Turkish-held areas in the northern Aleppo countryside and northern Idlib countryside could be linked to the latest statement of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Back on October 24 Erdogan said that the Afrin city issue is the next priority of the Turkish government meaning that Ankara may launch a military operation to retake it from Kurdish militias.
It’s good and healthy to dream. But taking into account the situation of the Syrian army and allies, stronger than ever, and analyzing the performance of the FSA without even the slightest talent for combat, with its multiple previous failures to achieve anything, I doubt that it is more than a dream, these strange plans for the future of the FSA. And the bad thing about dreaming is to wake up and realize that it was only a dream and a very stupid one, i fear.
The real outcome of this war will only appear after there is no ISIS anymore(meaning, it’s fully integrated on SDF), only then we will understand what is happening, until then it’s just conjecturing.
Turkey is kind of a wildcard though…
Yes my friend, I have to admit that you are right. Only over time, the facts will be defined with their evolutions and results.
Easy to see whats happening, its as plain as day! The SDF will declare autonomy or a new independent state within Syria! Of course this is exactly what Israel wanted! Turkey will eradicate or hold the Afrin pocket to Ransom so the SDF and the SAA give Turkey what they want! Failures of the US and Israel: To get rid of Assad! Successes: create, fund and support ISIS (create a problem) and to help eradicate them with Kurdish SDF forces (offer solution) Problems: Turkey will not Tolerate a Kurdish state within Syria, no will Iraq within in Iraq which would then allow the Assad govt to freely object and deny a Kurdish state to be created! With Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria coordinating against the Kurds, the Kurds will become landlocked and unable to export any resources except by air (which can now be targeted by S-400’s within turkey. This means they cannot export oil or gas but only import food!
A declaration by the US and Israel will be declared that the Kurds are being oppressed and of course steps and measures will be taken to force a corridor for exports and imports!
Once a Kurdish region has been unified between the Kurdish regions of Iraq and Syria, US bases will be built along the Iranian Kurdish region / border where manufactured instability will be implemented so that a war within Iran can be justified as another “aggression against Kurds”!
Once ISIS is gone and the Idlib pocket is broken up, the REAL proxy wars will begin!
All because Israel wants to expand its land and resources and have the ability to launch pre-emptively against Iran!
Too bad for Israel that F-35’s can be shot down by S-200’s
I agree. All the rebel terror gangs are essentially criminal gangs commanded by warlords similar to the fiefdom’s of medieval Europe. It was and is all about obtaining localised power and wealth by controlling armed bands of brigands, taxes , smuggling routes and theft of course.
Just as in medieval Europe the most powerful warlords ( kings ) are able to surround themselves with weaker warlords that give fealty to the King (Turkey / Al Nusra etc ).
Out of these criminal gangs in old Europe evolved bigger and bigger coalitions of warlords that in time became nation states.
What I’m worried about is that these plans are ‘co-ordinated with Moscow’, but surely not with the sole legitimate and elected government in Damascus. Unfortunaltely all this is pointing to one direction: The attempt to delegalize the Assad government (by some other false flag gas attack maybe) and establish a pseudo Turkish and US backed authority on Syrian sovereign soil, which though not legally recognized by the UN due to Russian veto (maybe?) at the UN, would de facto be recognized by most Western states and their puppet regimes as is Kosovo’s case. They have 80% of Syria’s water and oil resources to loot at will at their disposal. They would surely demand that Assad must go and hand over power to them otherwise they will proceed business as usual with a Syria fractured in two (or three).
I’m also very worried about also, my friend. And much more with the inscrutable silence of Moscow on all those facts, as if nothing bad would happening after all..
Nope there will be war! Iran, Iraq, Turkey or Syria will allow the Kurds to have so much power! Bet your balls on it, the Kurds will be fighting Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq! This is the reason why Turkey bought the S-400’s! So they can target anybody (missile lock) who dares to be the Kurds airforce whilst the Turks are attacking! Turks are gonna take Manbij and Afrin! Syria will take back Tabqa damn! The oil can be exported because they will be land locked! Certainly can’t fly oil out because its not possible nor safe since aircraft are easily targeted! The Kurds will be forced to give up land OR the US will be forced to fight a bigger war! This means Aircraft carriers being targeted within the Persian gulf!
Nope, I don’t say anything good happening for the Kurds! You can’t fight these 4 surrounding nations, its not possible! If the Turks say “fuck off USA” then what the US gonna do? they can’t do shit! They can’t do shit dude!
This war is defect over! Now only the race for the border matters (not the oil)!
A transit corridor needs to be created between Iran and Syria! This matters most!
The problem is Assad is refusing to participate in negotiations, he said so in an interview once. He said they are meaningless since the West never fulfills what they say in those negotiations.
Right now, Turkey is just preparing their bases and making preparations for the upcoming fight against the terrorists in Afrin. Considering that Turkey is the 2nd largest military in NATO, has been battling the PKK in Turkey for years, is now located both north and south of Afrin, I believe the Turks will make short work of the YPG & PKK in Afrin. Not only that, Syria and it’s allies will be happy to see the terrorist colluding groups swatted. What I wonder is, will the SDF, along with their terrorist buddies on the eastern side of the Euphrates, slow down their grabs of Syrian oil and land to defend their terrorist fellows in Afrin and Manbij?
Syria and Turkey will come to grips with each other after the war against terrorists and mercenaries is over. What Turkey will do at that point is anybody’s guess; though since Russia wants Syria’s sovereignty intact, I believe Turkey will want to maintain it’s good relations and trade with Russia; after all, Turkey was pretty upset when Russians stopped tourism after the shoot down of that Russian jet and that’s not even including their agricultural exports to Russia.
The fact that Turkey is supporting a “national” army and an “interim govt” instead of dealing with Assad makes it plain what their end game is.
Good point.
Not convinced yet. The US and it’s ‘coalition’ have supported proxy armies to overthrow the Syrian government. Turkey has been involved with the US for years. I’m sure they’ve learned something during that time, like the use of proxies to reduce the losses of their own citizens.
Both the US and the Turkish military presence in Syria is a flagrant violation of Syrian sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and a breach of Security Council Resolution 2254 for a political settlement to the conflict, which has as its founding principle precisely the respect of Syrian sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity from all the signatories of that UN resolution. Syria should not take part in any Astana or Geneva talks unless this basic and fundamental pre-requisite is full respected by all sides. In other words both the US and Turkey will have to leave Syrian sovereign soil before any talks could be initiated.
For services rendered? It’s temporary ownership.
The crazy Erdogan…
There is only one national army and its called SAA
To quote the great Bashar al-Assad: “Erdogan is a political beggar by the side of the street”