Turkey uses ceasefire in Idlib to strengthen its military presence in Syria

Turkey continues to use the ceasefire in the Idlib de-escalation zone, established on March 6 and still generally respected, to strengthen its military presence in northwestern Syria, learned BulgarianMilitary.com.

Over the past half-moon since the entry into force of the “silence regime”, hundreds of units of new armored vehicles, long-range howitzers, multiple launch rocket systems, and other military equipment and weapons have been sent to Idlib and Aleppo provinces. Columns with equipment, ammunition and personnel of the Turkish Armed Forces go to Syria almost daily.

Last week, Turkish military convoys in the border Syrian regions were recorded at least three times – on March 19, 21 and 22. The convoy included armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles and tanks, T-155 Firtina self-propelled howitzers, and trucks with military equipment.

In addition, on March 22, the Turkish military began to equip a new “observation post” in the area of ​​the city of Jisr al-Shugur (Idlib province) – a stronghold of Ankara-supported Islamist militants in the north-west of the Arab Republic.

The base is being created at the height of Tel-Sheikh-Khattab near the village of Mashrafiya, from it the section of the M-4 highway (Aleppo – Latakia) is perfectly visible, along which, by agreement with Russia, a security corridor is created.

Recall that Russia and Turkey, following the results of the six-hour talks on March 5 in Moscow, agreed to establish a new ceasefire regime in the Idlib de-escalation zone, which entered into force on 01 March local time. Russia and Turkey are creating a six-kilometer-wide security corridor north and south of the M-4 highway in the northwest of the Arab Republic.

It was also agreed on March 15 to begin joint patrolling of the Russian and Turkish military along the section of the indicated route from the settlement of Trumba (two kilometers west of the city of Sarakib) to the village of Ain al-Khabr.

The relevant agreement is in the form of an additional protocol to the Sochi memorandum of defense ministers of Russia and Turkey of September 17, 2018.