Turkish forces are seen at Mount Barsaya in northeast of Afrin, January 28, 2018 / Khalil Ashawi / Reuters
The Turkish military is preparing to establish two new posts in northern Syria to separate the area of Afrin, which is occupied by its forces, from the Greater Idlib region where al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is in control, Syrian news sources reported on October 21.
The new posts will be established in the towns of al-Ghazzawiyya and Dayr Balut, where the two main crossings linking Afrin and Greater Idlib are located.
Saif Abu Omar, head of the media office in the Turkish-backed National Front for Liberation, told the pro-opposition Enab Baladi news outlet that Turkish troops have already visited al-Ghazzawiyya and Dayr Balut. However, the construction of the posts is yet to start.
According to Abu Omar, Turkey’s decision to establish the two posts is meant to push the remaining forces of HTS out from Afrin.
HTS entered Afrin on October 11 under the pretext of supporting its Turkish-backed allies, the al-Hamzah Division and the Suleyman Shah Division, against the 3rd Corps, which is also backed by Turkey.
On October 15, an agreement with the 3rd Corps solidified HTS control over the Kurdish-majority area. After a series of protests, the terrorist group withdrew some of its militants from Afrin on October 18, but kept its security forces to run the area.
HTS expansion into Afrin was criticized by both Russia and the United States. During a recent interview with the Syrian daily, Al Watan, Russia’s envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev called on Turkey to stop the terrorist group.
Turkey designates HTS as a terrorist group. At the same time, it turns a blind eye to the group presence in Greater Idlib. Ankara’s move to push the terrorist group out from Afrin appears to be motivated by external pressure only.
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