Turkey Coordinates with Russia to Protect its Forces in Northern Syria
Turkey stressed that it has taken all the
necessary measures to protect its forces deployed across its observation posts
in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib.
In a statement on Saturday, its defense
ministry announced that developments in Idlib are being closely monitored in
coordination with Russia in wake of the dismantling of observation points in
regime-held areas in Hama and the eastern Idlib countryside. The forces were
deployed in southern Idlib.
This was the first official remark by Turkey
after it withdrew its troops from the military observation point in Morek city
towards Zawiya Mountain. The move had sparked speculation that the development
may have been a result of pressure from Moscow on Ankara.
A delegation from Turkey visited Moscow on
Thursday to discuss Syria and the coming days will reveal whether a new
Turkish-Russian agreement has been struck on Idlib.
Despite the withdrawal, Ankara dispatched
military reinforcements to the military base near Qoqfin hill in the southern
countryside of Idlib.
Three Turkish military columns, including 35
vehicles carrying military and logistic supplies, headed towards military
points in the southern Aleppo countryside via the Kafr Lusin border crossing.
Separately, at least 168 armed members of
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its affiliated factions have
arrived at the de-escalation zone in Idlib, Anadolu Agency reported.
Some 75 IRGC members passed through Iraq and
entered Syria to join the Syrian army in Idlib, it added.
“The Iranians joined 93 armed elements from the
terrorist groups and Syrian militias in Deir Ezzor province in eastern Syria,”
it reported.
