Turkish officials announced Wednesday that they sent hundreds of additional special forces, along with tanks, armored vehicles, and other equipment, across the border into Syria’s Idlib Province. They are intended to reinforce Turkish military posts in northern Syria.
Turkish officials say that the intention is to deter the Syrian military from launching an offensive against the Idlib Province, which is under the control of various Islamist rebel factions, the largest of which is al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front. Turkey is aligned with some of these fighters in supporting regime change in Syria.
In addition to boosting their direct military presence in Idlib, Turkey haas also sent a large amount of additional weapons and ammunition for the rebels to use. Rebel sources say they have been told Turkey will provide military support “for a long, protracted battle.”
Idlib and neighboring areas are the last major rebel enclave inside Syria. For Syria to recover the territory would effectively end the war, though doing so is likely to take a major offensive. Syrian and Russian planes have been conducting airstrikes along the outskirts, trying to soften up defenses before a ground invasion. There is no timetable for such an invasion.
One must ponder how the Turks (or the USA) would feel if another nation would occupy parts of their country, support terrorism and attempt regime change?
It should be noted that many of the “rebels” are not from Syria. How can a person be a “rebel” if they aren’t from the subject country in the first place? These are invaders and mercenaries. Horrors brought to Syria by meddling foreign governments.
Actually the people paying mercenaries to fight are the Russians ,”Wagner Group “.FACT
And the private contractors the US uses throughout the ME are not? But the difference is obvious. The US is paying and arming terrorists. Including al Queda. Since you obviously approve of that, you are an accessory.
And, the Russians are there legally under international law. The USA isn’t.
Heck, the US isn’t in Syria even under US law. All those that pound the table claiming they are patriotic have no problem with the deep state trashing Constitutional limits on government power. They conflate the regime with the country.
Of course”uncle sam” would say that. Fake Fact? Give evidence.
Turkey supporting the insurgents is just more of what has been going on for the last 7 years.
It is time the world held these criminals accountable.
As long as those tanks and personnel do nothing but support the Turkish outposts, they will have no effect on the operation as long as the outposts themselves remain out of the fight. If they engage the SAA, however, Russia will respond strongly. Putin will read the riot act to Erdogan and demonstrate it on the battlefield. Supplying weapons to the insurgents won’t change the outcome of the operation, either.
Hope you are right.
Outrageous!
How long will it take for analysts to figure it out. Al-Qaeda/Al-Nusra/HTS — Turkey declared terrorist organization. Turkey has beaten YPG in Afrin, thus protecting birder and preventing smuggling operations that Kurds from both siides of border conducted on behalf of US and supplying terrirists in Idlib, as well as Hama and Aleppo before. Now, Turkey has peeled off many militant groups that have local roots. The biggest ine is Jaish Al-Islam. Turkey has them all obliged to wear uniforms, and follow central command — no individual groups have control. Free Syrian Army has been under Turkish control already for two years, and are controlling part of Syria/Turkey border. Hope it is clear what is happening. Syrian Army and Russia are theeatening HTS with outright invasion. Turkey is suggesting they (HTS) gie up weapons, and foreign fighters would be extradited to countries if origin. Turkey MUST fortify its birder, and Turkey alligned militia will take fightto HTS. It will be a protracted one, if Syrian and Russian forces sit on the sideline — preventing any breakouts in the direction of Hama and Aleppo. This is an answer to US and Western conniptions about blasting HTS in th name of protecting civilians. The plan of Syrian militias under Turkey’s control taking on HRS and its affiliates is much better — making me think that the bluster about blasting Idlib was a ruse. Now, Western narrative us punctured — and needs repair. Turkey will weaken any chances US has to use Kurds in this area, and cut off the Jarabulus-Al-Bab corridor Turkey secured. All smuggling accross Afrin is now at end. US will have to fight Turkey to accomplish what it wanted aling Turkish border. But now, Turkey is getting ready with its proxies to take battle to HTS and associated groups, like Al-Zinka. And Turkey is backstopping this front, just like Russia is backstopping Syrian army front. Iran, Russia and Turkey are in complete agreement. Checkpoints were set up by Turkey and Russia more then a year ago. They will deepen them to create cuvilian escape corridors. This is old method, worked well in Aleppo and Goutha.
It is not clear to me why — after all the years if writing in the same topic, most writers cannot keep straight the names of groups, their sponsors, and their current role in the conflict. Turkey and Syria — and to an extent Hezzbollah ALL iver time got under their wing various militias. The reason for it is simple — many of them were self-defence militias from the era if collapsing Syrian Army control. Palestinians, Christians and Shia groups joined Syrian Army mostly. So did many Sunni groups that had escaped Al-Qaeda or ISIS control — joined either Syrian Army or sling Turkish border — Turkey. One Idlib is free, only north east Kurds will be under US control. Turkey will take care of that in due course. Now, Syria is in control if mist of the territory, and Turkey will not run into wuagmire of hit and run terrorists.