Illustrative image, A Turkish military column is en route to Al-Eis
On May 25, a unit of the Turkish Army conducted a reconnaissance mission in the northern Lattakia countryside visiting the village of Koban, according to the Syrian pro-opposition news outlet Enab Baladi. Later, the same unit visited the Turkish observation post in the village of Eshtabraq in northwestern Idlib.
Enab Baladi claimed that the Turkish Army is planning to establish a new observation post in the northern Lattakia countryside to monitor the de-escalation zone there. However, many local observers doubted this claim, as the Turkish Army had already established the twelve posts, which were agreed upon during the Astana talks.
According to Syrian pro-government activists, the Turkish Army is likely planning to reinforce its observation posts in the village of Eshtabraq and northern Lattakia, which were established earlier this month. On May 23, the Turkish Army reinforced its observation post in in the town of Murak and the village of Midan Ghazal in the northern and northwestern Hama countryside in a similar way.
So far, these observation posts have failed to achieve their aims as militants and even Turkish-backed groups are still launching attacks against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) from their positions near these posts. These acts will likely lead to a military confrontation between the SAA and militants if Turkey failed to put an end to them.
At least 4 Turkish OB posts were established in areas not agreed upon in any agreement, the first 2 in southern Idlib even before talks commenced. The OB posts are like a circling of the wagons by the US cavalry against marauding Indians but the Turkish backed rebels, the SDF and the FSA, are playing the part of the innocent civilians, the Turks are pretending to be the US cavalry, and the Russians and the SAA have to play the part of the Indians. Now Iran and Turkey are supposed to be cooperating in Idlib but I don’t think the Iranians will put up with the same cr-p Putin has, I think there may be fire works if Erdogan tries. This might be a movie where we actually get to see the Indians win for a change, burn the wagons and scalp the innocent civilians I say.