Türkiye strengthens positions in Syria ahead of possible military tensions

The Turkish military has reinforced its positions in Syria’s Idlib region, as outlined in the agreement between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This move includes bringing in additional troops and logistical support to the southern Idlib area. Concurrently, Syrian forces have been gathering in the region as well. 

Reports indicate that Damascus dispatched a missile system from the Raqqa and Sabrin airports in Aleppo’s countryside to areas bordering territories controlled by groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has warned of potential clashes between Syrian troops and armed factions in Idlib. 

Meanwhile, Turkish forces have been constructing a security line across their positions in eastern Idlib, with ongoing reinforcement efforts observed along the contact lines between Turkish and Syrian troops for the third consecutive day. 

Turkish sources silent

The reinforcement initiatives followed a meeting between Putin and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Moscow on June 11. Additionally, sources close to the Syrian government revealed that a meeting involving Russian, Turkish and Syrian military officials took place in Syria’s Hmeimim air base in Latakia.

This meeting marked a renewed dialogue between Ankara and Damascus, addressing developments in Idlib and its environs—highlighting the first such meeting on Syrian soil. 

While Turkish sources remained ambiguous about the reported meeting, they indicated that discussions between Putin and Fidan explored the potential revival of Moscow-mediated talks launched in June 2021.

These deliberations are expected to continue during the forthcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana on July 3-4, where Putin and Erdogan are scheduled to convene.