Massive stronghold of Turkish occupation.. What is importance of Jabal Al-Zawiya?

The Turkish occupation has strengthened its presence in the Jabal Al-Zawiya region "south of Idlib", which has become the next destination for the Syrian government forces, after the progress they have achieved during the last period.

It became the familiar scene of the daily Syrian events, when military convoys of the Turkish occupation entered from the Kafrlossin crossing, located on the northeastern side of the Bab al-Hawa border crossing, to Idlib governorate, most of which were concentrated in the Jabal al-Zawiya area.

In addition, the Turkish occupation consolidated its presence in the Jabal Al-Zawiya region through the concentration of Turkish points withdrawing from the areas controlled by the Syrian government forces earlier in the year 2019, as these points turned, according to what observers on the ground described, into major military bases.

Despite the absence of any official statistics or data specifying the size of the military equipment of the Turkish occupation in Idlib, Al-Hurra website quoted sources from inside Idlib saying that the number of Turkish occupation soldiers in Jabal Al-Zawiya alone has exceeded six thousand soldiers.

The importance of Jabal al-Zawiya is due to the fact that it is considered the most prominent gateway to Idlib from the southern side, in addition to the fact that controlling Jabal al-Zawiya secures the M4 international road, and this is very important for the Turkish occupation and the government forces that have taken the area into their eyes.

The Syrian government forces are bombing the Jabal al-Zawiya area on a daily basis, as they aim to restore the M4 road and the adjacent southern pocket, and seek to secure the road north towards Jisr al-Shughur, thus completely besieging the city of Idlib within a military triangle.

Strategic weight

About this, the Syrian journalist and political analyst, Malek Al-Hafez, said: “The Jabal Al-Zawiya region represents a strategic center of gravity for both the regime forces and their Russian ally to gain more control over the perimeter of the M4 international highway, as well as what contributes to them also to push the terrorist forces out of southern Idlib.”

He continued: "This is from the military side, but also from the economic side, as tightening control over the perimeter of the international Aleppo-Latakia road means activating commercial and transport movement between different regions, which contributes to stimulating Russia to extend its influence over the areas that this road passes through Hasaka governorate and cut off the road to any attempts by the (National Army) and Turkish army factions in the south of the so-called (Peace Spring).

New swap tool

On the objectives of the Turkish occupation, Al-Hafez clarified that Turkey "wants to keep Jabal al-Zawiya within the scope of its control during the current period, contenting itself with withdrawing from the (observation points) that were originally besieged in northern Syria, and considering that withdrawal as a suitable space that satisfies Russia in exchange for allowing Turkey to expand in the south ( Spring of Peace), specifically in Ain Issa, provided that Turkey seeks later to start a new round through which to control the villages of the northern countryside of Aleppo within al-Shahba canton and later extend it to Manbij in exchange for Russia's access to the surrounding of M4 international road, and then try to expand near the Bab al-Hawa area".

Al-Hafiz added, "However, any of this requires greater seriousness from Turkey towards Russia's demands. One of the most important and rightful of them may be to get rid of the influence of terrorist groups such as (Hurras al-Din) and (the Turkestan Party), and of course, headed by (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham)."

The Syrian journalist pointed out that “the situation or lack thereof in general is related to several variables, escalation is possible at any moment in Jabal Al-Zawiya and may precede the presidential elections for a period related to Turkey’s lack of seriousness and Russia’s insistence on escalation, or it will tend to an unprecedented calm, and that will be due to foreign policy of the new US President Joe Biden and his negative dealings with both Turkey and Russia. "

Al-Hafez added: "This matter will push the two parties (Russia and Turkey) to rapprochement in the face of any form to determine the influence of both parties, and in return, the extent of Washington's rapprochement with Moscow in the face of many files that are supposed to bring them together in Syria, the most important of which comes the Iranian influence in Syria and the file of combating terrorism, which means that this rapprochement will serve as a green light for Russia in northwestern Syria without committing it to any deals with Turkey. "

J.O

ANHA