TOPSHOT – Turkish army tanks gather close to the Syrian border on January 21, 2018 at Hassa, in Hatay province. AFP PHOTO / BULENT KILIC (Photo credit should read BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images)
On November 22, the Turkish Armed Forces established another military post in the southern countryside of Syria’s Idlib.
According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the post was built on the al-Marqab hill, between the towns of Sarjah and al-Ruwaihah in the al-Zawuya Mount.
This was the second post to be established by Turkish forces in the al-Zwuya Mount this week. The first post was built on November 20 near the town of Baluon, which overlooks the Lattakia-Aleppo highway, known as the M4.
A source in the Turkish-backed National Front for Liberation told Enab Baladi, a pro-opposition news outlet, that Turkish forces will soon conduct patrols in the al-Zawiya Mount.
“The Turkish forces organized weekly sole patrols from Almastumah camp, south of Idlib, to the village of Qafin in the al-Zawiya Mount,” the unnamed source said.
Earlier this month, the Turkish military evacuated several “observation posts” which were located within government-held areas in northern Hama, western Aleppo and southern Idlib.
The Syrian Arab Army and its allies are reportedly eyeing the al-Zawiya Mount, where terrorist groups, including Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, are present. Turkey is apparently planning to use force to block any advance by pro-government forces in the area.
Cant say we didnt see this coming. Goodbye Idlib, its been nice knowing you.
Well, sadly many here DID NOT. And dreamed delusional crap about Putin and Erdogan Bromance bringing down US and NATO.
4D chess, 5D chess… We now must be a 48D chess to still close the eyes of what the Idlib deal 3 years ago meant:
The proclaimined Plus sides:
-Promises of Erdogan for economic projects in turkey to Russia (Seen as very important for Russian economy though most not fullfilled by Erdogan)
-Erdogan gained S400 and NATO intelligence on it (only the amount is not clear) -Pressuing of Kurds to turn to Assad (Did also not work as expected) -Erdogan respecting Syrian souvereintigy (Haha) -Facilitating return of refugees (Haha again. Okay some returned, but those were nearly all now Turkish sponsored and controlled as proxys) -Facilitating political agreements to unite Syria politically (Yeah right. Turkish MIT still controls North Syrian and Idlib politically, with parallel pseudo govs, and now even openly works to integrate them into Turkey proper) -Ending terrorist power and forces in Idlib by Turkey (HTS on the contrary even expanded and is now the uncontended ruler of Idlib with Erdogan MIT backing and control) -Should i go on?
I dont know how many times i have said this was coming over the last 3 damn years. And how many more times people here blindly believed like sheep that all is well, and even if it is totally the opposite, it would magically turn to gold because of Putins unmachted genious of playing 4D chess with Erdogan.
Putin is extremly intelligent, a skilled statesmen like not many others of out era, and highly competent. But HE IS NOT A GOD. But believing that he could even ONCE make a policy error, seems to be unthinkeable.
Truth is, Erdogan outplayed him. And everyone elese too. As much as i hate that POS (and i do hate him from the deepest of my heart, make no mistake), but it sadly is the truth.
Erdogan was willing to go further, be more brazen and machiavellian than his opponents on the world stage. Sadly the most sociopathic wins. But that is still no excuse to not see it coming.
Good thing that Erdogan/Putin bromance delusion is now plain to see for everyone dead. Even for those, who downvoted and attacked everyone who actually did see this coming.
Bravo.
3 years and 1000s of lives of SAA lost, and Turkish power cemented for decades in what once was northern Syria.
Oh Florian. 3 years later, still no arguments against the now obvious sad truth, only downvotes from you? Try it at least once please.. EDIT: Sorry, forgot. You dont even read the post you downvote, being butthurt for years after loosing an argument.
The truth hurts and it’s hard to take sometimes, just like some medicines are, but just like all good medicine the truth is actually good for you no matter how bad it tastes. So excellent comment with nothing I could argue with, except for when you were being mean to Florian, he’s actually a nice guy if you get into a convo with him, and yes he’s given me a dislike too, which I have to admit did upset me a little too, maybe we both need thicker skins.
Putin made quite a few Russian high tech industries over reliant on Turkish sales, he offered huge tax incentives for many super high tech industries to either expand or take on new production to supply the Turkish military and high end industry needs. So if Turkey was to return to buying US and EU high tech commodities after and if US/EU sanctions are lifted, all those Russian industries that now supply the Turkish hi tech market would suffer considerably, quite a few would probably collapse as a result, they won’t have alternate markets readily available if they lose Turkish sales, it would be a tremendous fiasco and real blow to the economy. A lot of hi tech industry personnel would be looking for new jobs that aren’t available, which means Russia loses even more of it’s best people, the EU and US would lap them up like milk.
And don’t give up hope just yet, as they say “it’s not really over until the fat lady sings”, and the fat Arab lady who sits on the Saudi throne hasn’t finished singing yet. The Russian’s still have another possible trade war to face soon, then they might start changing their stance on Turkey, Erdogan, and the Muslim Brotherhood. You’re a smart guy, why don’t you find out what sort of help Assad really has available to him if he wants it, and see just how strongly they’ll back Assad if Assad lets them help him. The only reason the Saudis mounted an oil trade war against the Russians was to force the Russians to stop assisting/pandering/cooperating with the Muslim Brotherhood, there was no other reason for the trade war, and remember it was a desperate phone call from Putin to Trump, and then another one from Trump to the Saudis, that stopped that unnecessary trade war, but Trump’s gone now, so no more friendly phone calls.
It was pretty obvious soon after that deal with Russia / Turkey over a ceasefire was made.. Turkey pumped in massive military resources meant they were going no where. It has been relatively quiet ( in comparison to before ) since then. Assad has his part of Syria. The Yanks have their part and Turkey has its for the foreseeable future anyway.
HTS isn’t present right here, the moderate opposition group the National Front for Liberation [NFL] is actually here, and despite the fact they’re a legally recognised moderate opposition group [by Iran, Turkey, Russia, the US, and the EU], they’re in an alliance with HTS, who are designated terrorist organization. But HTS isn’t here in this location, the moderate NFL is, and the Turks are protecting their own moderate opposition NFL forces, not HTS. But more importantly have all the pro Russian supporters forgotten what the Russian/Turkish march agreement stipulated, it clearly said the Turks would control a 30 KM wide de-escalation zone north of the M4 highway and the Russians would control the de-escalation zone south of the highway, and they’d both coordinate joint patrols of the highway to keep the whole area safe. So WTF are the Turks building OB posts and bases where the Russians should be building them, according to that agreement that’s what’s supposed to happen, but just as always those agreements aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. Is Putin trying to purposely destroy Russia’s reputation for some sinister purpose, is that why he’s just demanded immunity from criminal prosecution after he leaves office, for himself and all his family, I’m starting to wonder. Yeltsin may have destroyed the USSR and nearly destroyed the Russian economy and psyche, but Putin is doing exactly the same thing to it’s military and diplomatic credibility. Russia’s assurances and agreements are worth dirt for anyone who makes them, they can choose to either ignore them or pretend to adhere to them for years and years with virtually no consequences if they don’t, what a shambles. Some of the most loyal Russian supporters on the SF forums have gone silent recently after many years of posting, and we all know why some of them have, they don’t like seeing the once mighty Russia now licking the boots of Erdogan. The old favoured answer of “Russia’s just playing the long term geopolitical game” as the reason for Russia’s inaction/actions is sounding more and more ridiculous, so thank God no one seems to use it anymore. But they’re not alone, I too once used to be a fervent Putin Supporter, and still am a fervent Russian nation supporter, but sadly for the last 9 years I’ve found the path Putin seems to be taking is a path I don’t want to follow anymore, I now know it’s time for new leadership in the Russian Government, Putin’s senile or mad, I’m not sure which, whatever it is it’s harming Russia’s long term interests. The Russian Government knows that the Arab League want Putin to stop trying to pry Erdogan away from NATO, they instead want Putin and Russia to help them stop Erdogan and the Muslim Brotherhood in their quest to take over the whole Islamic world [maybe more], and the russian Gov also know just how much that last mini oil trade war the Saudis started hurt the Russian economy [just before covid hit], and they also know that Putin’s phone call to Trump saved their butts from a prolonged trade war with the Saudis, – BUT THEY ALSO KNOW TRUMP’S GONE NOW, so nothing’s going to save Russia from the next trade war with the saudis, and another trade war is coming if the Russians don’t switch sides. Putin placed the Muslim Brotherhood on the terrorist list 20 years ago, and yet here he is doing deals with the enemy all the time, and they always seem to get the better of him. I’ve heard so many times on the forums that Putin’s really a Jew or Israeli puppet, and I’ve never believed it, he’s more anti Jewish than pro jewish I think, but I am now wondering if he secretly converted to Islam without telling anyone, perhaps that could explain why the Muslim Brotherhood and Erdogan seem to come out on top in all their dealings with him. Putin the secret Muslim convert, how’s that for a conspiracy theory, LOL, I’m only kidding, or am I, I’m not so sure myself now that I’ve said it, mmm. :] ONLY KIDDING :]
Oh no, no, no. Turkey will back the fuck off out of Syria. Be patient and behold. Turkay exonomy is on the brink of colapse. Nuff said.
Is that why they stopped buying cheap Iranian natural gas and started buying the more expensive US liquified gas, because their economy is doing so badly, and what about all the oil and gas their about to steal from Greece, that’ll fill up the empty Turkish coffers faster than a Turkish brothel fills up after Friday prayers. Turkey’s economy isn’t doing very well right now that’s true, but neither is anyone else’s, especially Syria’s economy, so if you believe the Syrian economy will somehow miraculously outlast the Turkish economy you’re going to find out you’re sadly mistaken, Syria’s economy’s already on the brink of collapse right now, but Turkey still has a long way to go before they’re even close to facing the same financial crisis Syria’s currently facing. It’s good to be an optimist until you have to face reality, but then reality slaps you in the face so hard it makes you wish you’d never been an optimist.
There was that glorious scene in the first Iron Man movie (2008), where Tony Stark is selling weapons and demonstrating that devastating multi-wave explosion weapon system causing long stretches of land explode repeatedly nearer and nearer to the camera. Absolute devastation and he is standing with his back to the explosions tearing up everything. I WANT that kind of devastation on the Turkish Wretches occupying Idlib.