Turkish deal with Russia, America is key to prevent conflict, but it is in problem

NEWS DESK

The American Newsweek Magazine said in a report that Turkey and Russia agreed last month to establish a demilitarized zone in Idlib, the last governorate under the control of the groups supported by Turkey in a move aims at preventing the launch of a full-scale military attack by the Syrian regime. Under the terms of the agreement, the mercenary gangs must withdraw the heavy weapons from the determined areas by October 10 and vacate them by October 15.

While local reports pointed out that heavy weapons were successfully transferred one day ahead of the scheduled deadline. It has been proved that convincing the mercenary and terrorist gangs such as the Hayet Tahrir al-Sham to leave by the final deadline, on Monday was the most difficult.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday that no element of the mercenary gangs has been withdrawn from the demilitarized zone.

The French news agency published several massages in which the regime forces warn the local residents, “The children of Idlib and its environs ... avoid the militants, their fate has approached.” “The areas empty of militants will be safe.” The third says, “Our dear people, the residents of the areas where the militants are supposed to leave, do not allow the terrorists to take you as human shields.”

Among the mercenary gangs that have been forced to leave the area are Hayet Tahrir al-Sham which includes the latest incarnation of Jabhet al-Nusra in addition to other allies of al-Qaeda such as the Turkestan Islamic Party, the Guardians of Religion and the Helpers of Religion. The international relief organizations have warned of a possible humanitarian crisis in case these groups would fail to leave and the military operations would begin.

The residents of Idlib and relief workers hold their breath as the last deadline of a political deal approaches while the conditions of the agreement are known, but we do not know what the plan would be if the parties failed to implement them on the ground. The director of Care International Institution said in a statement on Friday, “Over and over again, such deals ended with blood. We have to preserve the life of the civilians at all costs.”

Turkey joined the West and its regional allies in 2011 to support the armed gangs against the Syrian regime and the trouble has enabled the terrorist gangs, including al-Qaeda and IS to become the target of the United States-led intervention in 2014.

Russia joined the fighting the next year to support the Syrian regime forces and their allies, including the Iranian-backed groups against various groups that try to topple the regime.

The regime now controls most of the country leaving Idlib the last major bastion of the terrorists’ influence in addition to being a refuge for up to 3 million people who do not have the will to reconcile with the regime. The West urges Turkey, Russia and Iran to not allow the Syrian regime to continue the impending attack because of the risk of leaving casualties in the ranks of the civilians.

While the United States has warned that it may conduct military action to prevent such operation if chemical weapons are used. Turkey has sought to use its position as a partner of both sides to stop the escalation of violence in Idlib. Last year, Turkey joined a tripartite peace process with Russia and Iran to compromise on the besieged mercenary gangs as the relations with the United States started to fade over the US alliance with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Since 2015, the United States has entered into a partnership with SDF which fought in great battles against IS. SDF have proved to be powerful against IS and have shown their readiness to negotiate with Damascus, but Ankara has shown its annoyance about this rapprochement. It is worth mentioning that SDF dominate a quarter of the country.

The violence provoked a rare understanding between the United States and Russia last year as their troops undertook patrols in Manbij northern city for the sake of the common interest to prevent any Turkish advance amid threats of a new Turkish incursion earlier this year, and the United States and Turkey agreed to conduct independent and coordinated patrols in Manbij on the time when a separate US-Turkish dispute took place over the fate of a Christian priest has been held by Ankara for a long time. The arrangements of the two countries in Syria remain at great risk.

D.H