On October 18, a convoy of the Turkish military, consisting of several armored vehicles and trucks, arrived the observation post in the town of Murak in the northern Hama countryside, according to the Syrian pro-opposition news outlet Enab Baladi.
In the last few days, many Syrian opposition sources reported that the Turkish military is strengthening its observation posts within the demilitarized zone around the northern governorate of Idlib, which has been established under the Russian-Turkish deconfliction agreement.
The deployment of more Turkish troops in Murak comes ahead of the reopening of a vital crossing south of the town. A source familiar with the situation told Enab Baladi that the crossing, which connects the government- and militants-held areas, will be reopened for civilians and shipping on October 18.
Earlier this month, the Turkish military said that all heavy weapons had been withdrawn from the demilitarized zone. However, several violations revealed that this claim was not true. Furthermore, radical militants have not withdrawn from the zone yet.
Despite all these violations, Russia and Turkey appear to be determined to continue their effort to implement the deconfliction agreement, even if that means extending the timeline.
