Click to see the full-size image
On March 15, the Russian Military Police and Turkish forces conducted first joint patrol in southern Idlib. According to agreements reached in Moscow, the patrol was set to be conducted along the part of the M4 highway, where a buffer zone had to be establsihed. This included the withdrawal of heavy weapons and radical armed groups (al-Qaeda & friends) from the area. However, this did not happen. Furthermore, the countryside of Jisr al-Shughur remains the stronghold of the al-Qaeda-linked Turkistan Islamic Party.
So, Ankara and Moscow decided to conduct a limited patrol west of Saraqib to avoid an expected escalation and attacks on the patrol. Even this effort did not go without difficulties. Turkish forces failed to reopen the M4 highway (blocked by militant supporters) and the patrol took place only in a few km west of the government-controlled town of Sraqib (on the crossroad of the M5 and M4 highways.
#Syria #Idlib #M4
People refuse to pass the Russians on the road pic.twitter.com/prVj4JcoRr— Mohammed Ghorab (@MGhorab3) March 15, 2020
#Syria: #TSK armored convoy with tanks was blocked on M4 Highway by local population protesting against Turkish-Russian deal. pic.twitter.com/8RnaHwMmAr
— Qalaat Al Mudiq (@QalaatAlMudiq) March 15, 2020
In an official statement on the situation, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the patrol was limited because of provocations prepared by radical armed groups that Turkey does not control. The statement says that terrorists planned to use civilians, including women and children, to stage the provocation. Therefore, in order to avoid possible civilian casualties, the length of the patrol was reduced.
The Russian side added that Turkey received ‘additional time’ to secure the implementation of the buffer zone agreement.
#Syria: first Turkish-Russian patrol on M4 Highway didn't go as planned. Vehicles just "patrolled" ~2km inside Regime-held territory & went back to Saraqeb (E. #Idlib). TR-Ru deal faces strong resistance among local population. https://t.co/9nKZr84xGh pic.twitter.com/SZ3XpssL3U
— Qalaat Al Mudiq (@QalaatAlMudiq) March 15, 2020
Vehicles of the Turkish Armed Forces headed to Saraqib from the Qaminas campus and Sarmin to conduct joint patrols that are scheduled today on the M4 road from Termba to Ain Hamra. pic.twitter.com/Nllv6E6uXi
— Mohamad Rasheed محمد رشيد (@mohmad_rasheed) March 15, 2020
Surprisingly, the Turkish Defense Ministry admitted that there were some measures taken to prevent possible provocations. However, it forgot to note what kind of difficulties the sides experienced.
İdlib’de icra edilen 1’inci Türkiye- Rusya birleşik kara devriyesi; olası provokasyonları ve bölgedeki sivil halkın zarar görmesini önlemek amacıyla, Türk ve Rus Müşterek Koordinasyon Merkezleri arasındaki koordine sonucunda gerekli tedbirler alınarak icra edilmiştir.#MSB #TSK
— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) March 15, 2020
The March 15 patrol is an attempt to demonstrate the new de-escalation agreement in Moscow is working. Nonetheless, while the ceasefire was really establsihed in the area, terrorists remained on their positions inside the agreed buffer zone. If the situation does not change, this will set ground for a new round of escalation in the region.
Click to see the full-size image
Click to see the full-size image
Click to see the full-size image
Click to see the full-size image
Click to see the full-size image
Click to see the full-size image
Click to see the full-size image
Click to see the full-size image
Click to see the full-size image
Click to see the full-size image
