29,000 Turkish troops
stationed in Idlib
On March 5, the Turkish state and Russia had agreed a ceasefire for Idlib. Part of the conditions included the establishment of a jointly patrolled "protection zone" and Turkey's action against its allied jihadist militias, such as the Al-Qaeda branch Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as well as the end of all military activities. Although more than a month has passed since then, Turkey does not fulfil the conditions and instead uses the global political focus on the Covid-19 pandemic to strengthen its position in the Idlib region of north-western Syria
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which has good connections with armed "opposition" forces in Syria, reports that the total number of military positions of the Turkish state in Idlib has risen to 57. In 2017, the Turkish state had already established twelve so-called observation points, as agreed in the Astana Agreement. According to sources in the region, the number of Turkish military bases in the region is much higher. Contrary to the agreement in Astana, jihadists, including the HTS, are supplied via the military bases and enjoy shelter there. The Turkish secret service MIT also maintains a number of bases in the region.
The Observatory reports that since February 2 until today another 5,745 Turkish soldiers have been transferred to Idlib. This means that a total of 29,000 Turkish troops are now in the region. Since the beginning of February, more than 5,000 armoured personnel carriers, tanks and howitzers have also been brought into the region.
Stronger than the occupation of Cyprus
If you add the number of Turkish militiamen, the strength of the occupying power in Idlib exceeds that in Cyprus, which was 35,000 at the time of the invasion. Due to the Turkish military movements, overflights by the Russian air force have now also increased.
All points of the agreement broken
The first point of the agreement of 5 March, the cessation of all military activities, was broken by Turkey. The other two conditions, the security corridor along the M4 motorway and the start of joint patrols in the security corridor, were also not implemented. Even before he travelled to Moscow, Erdoğan had announced the annexation with the words that it was "inevitable that Idlib will receive a new status".
No action against jihadist militias
Putin had also demanded that Turkey should not allow "any weakening of the fight against international terrorism". In doing so, Putin was referring to Turkish support for jihadist militias such as the HTS in Idlib. Nevertheless, Turkey did not take any action against such groups, it did not even stop actively supporting them.
US as guarantor for a permanent Turkish presence
The Turkish state is aware that NATO and the US are the only guarantee for Turkey to remain in the region permanently. In February, the US and NATO had promised Turkey support under the condition that it would refrain from using the Russian S-400 air defence system.
Tension between Turkish
troops and al-Nusra in Idlib
Tensions arose between Turkish troops and al-Nusra (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, HTS) mercenaries before the patrol mission set to take place on M4 highway in Idlib region as part of agreement made between the Turkish state and Russia in Moscow
According to reports, a large number of civilians gathered near the town of Nairab and protested against the patrol mission of the Turkish army and Russian forces on Aleppo-Latakia (M4) highway.
Tensions increased after Turkey dispatched police forces to the scene where al-Nusra then deployed armed men before the Turkish police teams.
While the patrol did not take place because of tension, al-Nusra groups opened fire into the air with DShK and heavy weapons.
Al-Nusra groups and civilians shouted at the Turkish police, saying; “This is not Turkey, do not swing your baton”.
HTS members and civilians closed the road and did not allow the patrol to take place and protested against Turkish troops, saying “Get out of here. This is our land.”
In the wake of clashes in Idlib in February, Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan went to Moscow and asked for a ceasefire from Russian President Vladimir Putin. The agreement signed by Putin with Erdoğan at the feet of Catherine the Great included the following:Cessation of all military activities in Idlib from March 6,
The Moscow agreement was followed by a partial ceasefire in the region but none of the articles of agreement has been implemented so far.
Formation of a security corridor 6 km north and 6 km south of the Aleppo-Latakia (M4) highway,
Start of Turkish-Russian joint patrols along the security corridor from March 15.
Up to 1.2 million people
left without water
In response to a written question by the member of parliament Evrim Sommer, the German Government stated that up to 1.2 million people are affected by the interruption of the water supply by the Turkish occupation forces in Western Kurdistan
The Turkish occupying forces repeatedly interrupt the water supply to large parts of northern Syria by bombing water pipes in a targeted manner and shutting down the occupied waterworks in the northern Syrian town of Elok (Alouk) east of Serêkaniyê (Ras al-Ain).
German Left Party (DIE LINKE) MP Helin Evrim Sommer asked the Federal Government about its knowledge of this practice. The Federal Government answered that, to its knowledge between 700,000 and 1.2 million people are affected by the water closures. These are in particular the inhabitants of the cities of Hesekê and Til Temir, the Eriş and Washokani refugee camps, where internally displaced persons from the occupied territories live, and the Hol camp, where thousands of ISIS families are accommodated.
The German Government warns of "serious humanitarian consequences", especially against the current pandemic.
Turkey deploys
thousands of jihadists
The fact that Turkey does not turn away from its warmongering and authoritarian policies even in times of a pandemic can be observed again in Northern Syria
For days, there has been a deployment of jihadists and their families in the cities of Serêkaniyê (Ras al-Ain) and Girê Spî (Tal Abyad), which have been occupied since last October. In the last week alone, a convoy of about 600 vehicles of mercenaries of the proxy force "Syrian National Army" (SNA) under the protection of armored vehicles from Jarablus crossed the border to Turkey via Antep in order to be brought back to Northern Syrian territory via the border crossing Akçakale in Urfa province.
Thousands of Islamists and their relatives from Jarablus reached the Turkish occupation zone in northern Syria via the same route yesterday. The long-term demographic change from Rojava, away from a multi-ethnic and multi-religious region, to a Sunni-Muslim dominated region under the control of NATO partner Turkey and its allied Islamists from the so-called SNA, an alliance of jihadist and right-wing extremist groups, some of which, like the Al-Qaida offshoot Ahrar al-Sham, are also internationally recognised as terrorist organisations, is in fact endorsed by Europe. The EU has the means to stop Erdoğan’s war in Syria. Yet it is allowing itself to be blackmailed with the refugee deal.
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