Turkish forces are seen near Mount Barsaya, northeast of Afrin, Syria January 23, 2018. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
Turkey will take “measures” against any side that would violate Greater Idlib ceasefire, including radicals in the Syrian region, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on February 13.
The Turkish Defense Minister made his statement while attending the NATO’s Defense Ministers Meeting in the Belgian capital, Brussels.
“We send additional troops to ensure a ceasefire and make it permanent, we will check the area. All kinds of measures will be taken against those who do not comply with the ceasefire, including radicals. Our reinforced observation points will continue to play an important role in monitoring the situation on the ground,” Akar told reporters, according to News 1.
Akar added that the Turkish military reinforcement recently deployed in greater Idlib will have a “permanent” role in the region.
The Turkish minister remarks about a ceasefire in Greater Idlib contradicts the recent threats of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A day earlier, Erdogan vowed to expel the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) from the vicinity of Turkish posts in Greater Idlib and restrict the operations of Syrian warplanes.
No new ceasefire in Greater Idlib has been announced, as for now. A Turkish military delegation is expected to arrive in Moscow today to discuss the situation in the Syrian region. A ceasefire could be agreed on during the meeting.
It is an annexation. Syria must present advantageous facts on the ground by the time of the meeting.
i fully get it, but erdogan hinted that if such attempt be made he would open up fronts elsewhere (like Al bab) being right at the center where kurdish , american, russian, turkish and syrian influence meet that would mean total mayhem.
Erdogan is indeed threatening, but he doesn’t have the ability or desire to enter an allout war against the SAA. The goal of the Turks is a new agreement. The question is – will Assad expose Erdogan’s bluff? I don’t think so. He will let him save face
they’re trying to steal the land. Expel them while you have Russia and Iranian allies on the ground or they’ll never leave
Cease fire set to go into effect in 72 hours … all RATS must remove themselves from the SOCHI agreed areas … if they refuse, SAA will be allowed to eliminate them …
Turkey buckled … no air cover leaves their troops and material sitting ducks in Syria … Turkey must remove all observation posts that are surrounded by SAA forces … more coming
i would expect something like that to happen, you cannot possibly ask the SAA to give the highway and erdogan can boast how he saved idlb city, the take-away home result is that especially HTS is dealt a blow that has becom3e a liabillity for even erdogan himself but that he cannot easily put them aside without loosing credibillity among the other factions, perhaps there will be erdogan supplied green busses to Libya for the displaced headchoppers from rashidin 4.
If a ceasefire is announced, the SAA will just use this to fortify their positions and to plan the next phase of IdlibDawn.
I agree … SAA will control nearly 55 % of IDLIB
and rightfully so, my only complaint is that due this outside interference the liberation has slowed down and we have to put up with that smug bilal adbul kareem for some extra time.
I know that this slowed down the liberation. I’d rather have seen the full scale assault in September 2018. The SAA was preparing for the Jisr ash-Shughur operation back then. They had momentum coming from Daraa. I’m sure they could have also cracked the Jihadist defenses at the Kabani front back then, because the Jihadis have built many trenches and tunnels after the announcement of the demilitarization dead reached between Russia and Turkey, but the slow offensive now also has a good side. Some civilians have managed to flee Idlib and that’s the most important thing. I know the number was low, but still these civilians are safe now. I’m just worried about the civilians who still suffer in Idlib. How can they escape? The Jihadis blocked the humanitarian corridors. A good option would be to flee to Manbij and wait there for the liberation of their towns and villages.
What ceasefire? Turkish soldiers are being integrated into Al Qaeda fractions, like some sort of dual citizens where they are both turkoid soldiers but also HTS/ISIS jihadists in the same time. Syrian Army will continue it’s operation and only agree to a “ceasefire” if it deems it tactically beneficial to the next military offensive to rid the terrorists from Syria.
TURKEY despite all the phone calls, begging, pleading, holding their hat out … will get ZERO NATO help … no troops .. just a pat on the back
where the main battle action is going on today
https://twitter.com/200_zoka/status/1227972147584389120/photo/1
https://twitter.com/Bosni_94/status/1227975418713722883
At this rate of progress the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) could liberate Ankara by Christmas.