Special - Syria Call

 

 

 

A major military escalation witnessed in Idlib governorate, northwestern Syria, last night, after a Turkish observation point in the vicinity of the town of "Al-Tarnba", west of Saraqib, was hit with artillery shelling by the Assad regime, which resulted in the death of 8 Turks and others wounded.

 

The Turkish army responded to the bombing of the military base by targeting the locations of the Assad regime in the countryside of Idlib, Aleppo and Hama with rocket launchers and heavy artillery shells, based on the Turkish bases deployed in northern Syria, including "Touqan Hill", "Sorman" and "Sher Maghar".

 

Turkish and Russian reactions

The Turkish presidency raised the severity of the statements against the Assad regime and Russia, where President "Erdogan" stressed that his country will not remain idle towards the killing of Turkish soldiers in Idlib, explaining that the Turkish army has made an appropriate response and carried out 122 artillery strikes and 100 mortar shells targeting 46 sites of the Assad regime In addition to the participation of F-16 warplanes in the operation, he also stressed that the operation resulted in the neutralization of 30 to 35 members of the Assad militia, and that his country is determined to continue its operations in Syria "in order to ensure the security of our country and our people and the security of our brothers in Idlib."

As for the spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development Party in Turkey, "Omar Gelik", he made it clear that his country would henceforth consider Assad's militia, near its observation points in Idlib, as hostile targets, considering that the Assad regime behaves as a terrorist organization.

 

For his part, the reconciliation center of the Russian Ministry of Defense justified the Assad regime’s bombing of the Turkish observation point by saying that the Turkish army units moved in Idlib province without notifying Russia, which it offered to bomb by the regime forces targeting “terrorists”, claiming at the same time that Russia controls of the airspace in northwestern Syria, and that Turkish aircraft did not enter the airspace of Idlib Governorate and did not carry out any raids on the locations of the Assad militia.

Hours before the aforementioned military escalation, Turkey had introduced huge military convoys to the Syrian north and is considered the largest of its kind since the Turkish military intervention in the country. The convoys included tanks, artillery, rocket launchers, jamming devices and ambulances, some of which were stationed west of the city of Saraqib, specifically on the international road. M4 ".

 

Also, the Turkish newspaper "Sabah" had said that after the Syrian regime took control of the city of "Maarat al-Numan" and violated the "Sochi" and "Astana" agreements, the Turkish forces began building fortifications on the southern and northern line of the city of "Saraqib" located on the M4 and M5 ", stressing that the Turkish army has dug trenches in the city of Saraqib and intensified its preparations on the M5 road and the areas overlooking it, and deployed a large number of soldiers and armored vehicles in it, in order to prevent the advance of Russian and Iranian militias towards the city.

 

Implications and fate of the escalation between Turkey and the Assad regime

The journalist and political analyst, "Mahmoud Othman," explained that the competing parties on the Syrian file follow the strategy of the "brink of the abyss," adding that each side will go as far as possible to escalate in order to preserve its positions, but in the end there was no armed clash between Turkey and Russia in particular. .

 

He stated that Ankara would not tolerate the Assad regime in the Idlib region, as he considered that Turkey today is facing a test of credibility, after its credibility has been shaken as a guarantor and regional power, noting that Moscow has gone too far and gone too far in violations of the Astana and Sochi agreements, which means that the matter came to what might be called "red lines" for Turkey.

"Othman" stressed in special statements to "Syria Call" that Turkey cannot, if it wants to play a regional role, and an active policy at the region level, especially in Syria, be exposed to all these pressures without having a firm and decisive stance, which requires it to take the necessary measures in order to enhance its position and keep reputation good as a guarantor of the Syrian opposition.

 

Ankara is the most prepared for any confrontation or clash, especially since more than 130,000 soldiers are deployed on the Syrian-Turkish border, and they are ready to enter any battle or conflict if necessary, which can be considered a message to Russia not to go too far in Idlib.

He added that Russia has one scenario, which is controlling all Syrian lands, and considers that the whole country is a zone of influence for it, and therefore Russian officials repeatedly point out the need to respect the unity of the Syrian soil.

 

 

And "Othman" concluded that Russia is in a hurry and wants to escalate before the forced Iranian withdrawal from Syria, especially in light of the great American pressure on Tehran, which is expected to continue at a higher rate, which means that Iran will be forced to withdraw its militias from the Syrian territories, and therefore will not Russia has a military advantage on the ground, especially since the Assad regime's army is exhausted and unreliable in real battles.

He concluded that, despite the Russian escalation in Idlib governorate, this time Turkey is determined to stop the Russian persistence and prove itself as a regional country that can protect its gains and impose itself as a key player in the region, whether in Syria or Libya.

For his part, the military expert, Colonel "Ahmed Al Hamada", told "Syria Call" that the recent Turkish reinforcements in Idlib aim to improve the ability of the Turkish points to perform their mission and to defend themselves, as happened yesterday, considering that the killing of Turkish soldiers will have repercussions on Turkish-Russian relations, stressing at the same time, that the increase in Turkish points in northern Syria aims to prevent the continuation of the regime's attacks and perhaps to re-establish new understandings.

The Turkish President stressed a short time ago that the developments in Idlib governorate in northern Syria have reached an intolerable situation, and that his country has been patient with much, and he stressed that Ankara will make the Assad regime pay the necessary price for its bombing of the Turkish observation point and its killing of eight soldiers.