Turkey Declares War on the Syrian Regime

The intense escalation of the conflict between NATO member Turkey and the Russian-backed Syrian army was instigated by the February 27 bombings that killed 36 Turkish soldiers in the Idlib province, spreading a psychological tremor throughout Turkey.

Turkish high officials said on Sunday that they were initiating a ‘major counteroffensive’ against the Syrian regime. This is the first time Turkey has openly declared war on the government of Bashar al-Assad, who is supported by Russia.

Ankara affirmed yesterday that it had launched ‘Operation Spring Shield’ against the Syrian Arab Army on the day Turkey shot down two Russian-made Syrian air force jets.

The Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the accelerating Idlib crisis, on March 5.

Turkey states it has destroyed several “air defense systems, more than 100 tanks and killed 2,212 members of the Syrian forces, including three top generals in drone strikes since Feb 27,” according to the AL-Monitor, news agency. 

“With our operations Euphrates Shield, Olive Branch and Peace Spring, and now Operation Spring Shield, we will break all treacherous hands reaching for our nation's flag. May Allah protect our heroes who are fighting for the sake of our flag," said Turkish FM Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Turkey has deployed around 7,000 of its troops to Idlib in the last month to protect the forces it sent in earlier in 2018. The reinforcements are also anticipated to aid the Syrian rebel groups that have been rapidly losing ground against Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian Armed Forces.

“All of our efforts are primarily to ensure a cease-fire, to prevent migration and to stop the flow of blood, and thus to bring peace, peace, and stability to the region as soon as possible,” said Turkish Defense Minister Hulisi Akar, whilst attending the funerals of the fallen Turkish soldiers. “We don’t intend to confront Russia” he added, “Our only aim there is to stop the massacre by the regime.”

Turkey seeks aid from the West, especially the US' Patriot air-missile defense systems, though Americans are not so fond of Turkey buying massive weaponry for offensive and defensive purposes from Russia, and Washington is insisting that Ankara make such machinery ‘inoperable’. 

NATO Secretary-Seneral Jens Stoltenburg said after an emergency assembly on the escalating conflict, that NATO will be ‘providing airborne radar surveillance over Syria.’

Russia, however, has denied that its forces were involved in the strike which killed 36 Turkish/NATO troops and says it stopped the Syrian attack when they were alerted by the Turks.

“Erdogan is playing backgammon on Putin’s chessboard,” says a senior Western diplomat speaking under the condition that he remain anonymous. “He is cornered and increasingly reckless.”

By Beka Alexishvili