Turkey reinforces military in Idlib, boosts arms to Syrian opposition

Turkey is reinforcing its military posts inside Syria’s opposition-held province of Idlib, Turkish and Syrian opposition sources said, seeking to deter an Assad regime offensive which it says would unleash a humanitarian disaster on its border, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

Three Turkish security and government officials told Reuters that troops, armored vehicles and equipment had been sent to the Syrian border. A senior security source said the army has reinforced 12 Turkish military posts inside Idlib itself.

“We have a military presence there and if that military presence is damaged or attacked in any way, it would be considered an attack on Turkey and would therefore receive the necessary retaliation,” the source said.

The observation posts were set up in the Idlib region last year under an accord with Russia and Iran designating Idlib and parts of neighboring provinces a “de-escalation zone”.

A senior Syrian opposition fighter said Turkey had sent dozens of armored vehicles and tanks, as well as hundreds of special forces personnel to Idlib, a move he said showed Idlib would not share the fate of the other rebel regions.

“There are very big reinforcements of Turkish forces inside Syria and these observation posts have now in effect become permanent military bases,” Mustafa Sejari said.

The Turkish military does not comment on troop movements, but Reuters television footage has shown military convoys heading to the border region in the last week.

Opposition sources told Reuters that Turkey has also stepped up supplies to the opposition forces in Idlib in recent days, including ammunition and rockets.

“They pledged complete Turkish military support for a long, protracted battle,” a senior FSA commander who was privy to talks in recent days with senior Turkish officials said, requesting anonymity as he was not authorized to speak publicly.

The weapons, which have entered Syria in large quantities in recent days, include ammunition and GRAD rockets.

“These arms supplies and munitions will allow the battle to extend and ensure our supplies are not drained in a war of attrition,” the commander added.

A second opposition commander said: “They are getting new shipments of munitions — they don’t need more than munitions.”

“The Turks are making sure they have enough munitions that keep them going for a long while,” he added.

Already hosting 3.5 million Syrians - the world’s biggest refugee population - Turkey says it cannot absorb more victims of the war and has accused the West of abandoning it to face the consequences of Assad’s expected attack on Idlib.