Turkish President Erdoğan and his counterpart Putin have repeatedly met each other in recent years to coordinate their moves in Syria. In September 2018, they reached a de-escalation deal on Idlib in Sochi, Russia, aimed at turning Idlib into a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression and offensive are expressly prohibited. With nowhere to…
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News and Analyses of events in the Middle East
US to give Turkey ammunition and humanitarian assistance for Idlib operation
It is reported by a Turkish media outlet that the US special representative for the region James Jeffrey has reiterated US support for Turkey on its ongoing Spring Shield operation inside Syria. He said, the United States is willing to provide ammunition alongside humanitarian assistance to Turkey in Syria’s war-torn Idlib region. “Turkey is a…
Read moreOperation Spring Shield is a wake-up call for Assad Jr.
I don’t believe the extensive military operation on a specific Syria-Turkish border will deteriorate Turkey-Russia relations. Rather, the military operation will deliver a couple of clear messages to two countries. Assad junior will come to know where and how his forces have been engaged in unwarranted military atrocities. Additionally, he should come to understand that…
Read moreTurkey says, millions of refugees will head towards Europe
According to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, “millions” of migrants and refugees will soon head towards Europe. He warned that while announcing withdraw form 2016 deal with the EU, which was to prevent migrants entering Europe. Turkey accused the EU bloc of not doing enough to provide aid and resettlement assistance for EU-bound refugees. On…
Read moreSyrian army recaptures Saraqib from anti-government forces
Al Watan newspaper reported by citing a source that the Syrian government forces have recaptured the city of Saraqib in the east of the Idlib province. The source said that the city was recaptured by Syrian forces from the Jabhat al-Nusra group. In February, the Syrian government forces captured Saraqib, which angered Turkey. However, the…
Read moreTurkey supported militias are making gain in Southern Idlib
With the direct support from Turkey, Syrian anti-government forces including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), National Front for Liberation (NFL) make important advances in Southern Idlib on 1 March 2020, according to diversified sources. Analyzing the reports of those sources it can be said that Turkish-backed anti-Government forces managed to capture the towns of Fleifel, Kafr…
Read moreTurkey hits Syrian military airport in Aleppo
It is reported by Anadolu Agency citing local sources that the Turkish Armed Forces targeted the Syrian military airport in Aleppo. According to the cited source, the Turkish Armed Forces used armed drones and fire support vehicles to target the Al-Nayrab military airport, which Syrian air force frequently used in Idlib battle. The cited source…
Read moreTurkey launches full-scale military operation in Idlib, shot down 2 Syrian fighters
According to several media outlets, on 1 March 2020, Turkey shot down 2 Syrian fighter jets over Idlib. Syrian state-run news agency SANA claimed that the pilots ejected safely and landed in the government-controlled area. On the other side, Turkish Defense Ministry claimed that the downed fighter jets were Su-24 that attempted to attack Turkish…
Read moreTurkey vows to attack Syrian positions in Idlib as ‘legitimate targets’
On 28 February 2020, Turkey said that the positions of Syrian government forces inside Idlib would become ‘legitimate targets’. Turkish angry reaction came after Syrian airstrike that killed 33 Turkish soldiers. On the other side, Turkey’s communications director said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed to meet in…
Read moreRussia claims, slain Turkish soldiers in Idlib were with ‘terrorist groups’
Russian defense ministry said that slain Turkish troops were acting inside ‘combat units’ with ‘terrorists’ in Idlib province when they were targeted by a Syrian government airstrike on 27 February 2020, where 33 Turkish service members were killed. On 28 February 2020, the Russian defense ministry said that the airstrike happened when the Syrian government…
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