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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Former Syrian opposition leader: Groups that Turkey depends on are fake
2020-03-18
[NPASYRIA] Ottoman Turkish forces in Idlib were surprised that a number of the members of the gangs that it depended on in their recent battle with Syrian government forces are "fake", according to what a former leader of the armed opposition said on Tuesday.

In an interview with North-Press, Muhammad Abu Abdullah, former leader in the Syrian opposition, said that Ottoman Turkish-backed gangs are groups use "fake" numbers.

Abu Abdullah said that The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor...
 was surprised by those groups on which it relied, such as the National Front for Liberation, as it found that the numbers of their members are on papers only, and the remaining groups utilized only a small percentage of their strength in the battle launched by Turkey on the first of this month, in anticipation of being eliminated by other groups, including ones backed by Turkey.

On the first of this month, Ottoman Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar announced a military operation against Syrian government forces in Idlib after the latter attacked the Ottoman Turkish forces and the affiliated gangs in Idlib on February 27.

On March 5, an agreement between the Russian and Ottoman Turkish presidents was reached in Moscow, which stipulated a ceasefire in Idlib and the start of Russian-Ottoman Turkish patrols on the M4 highway.

Regarding the protests on M4 highways, Abu Abdullah said that "they are run by the groups, and that they must demand people to go back to their homes and the [Syrian] regime forces must withdraw to Sochi borders."

Abu Abdullah pointed out that one of Sochi articles, which includes the dissolution of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else
...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
 (HTS), was the main instigator for the protests that took place in Arihah.

He said that opening the highway and conducting the patrols means the implementation of Sochi Agreement points on the ground, the most prominent of which is the dissolution of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, "which the latter does not want," according to Abu Abdullah.

Observers see that the protests that took place in Arihah on the M4 highway to prevent Russian-Ottoman Turkish patrols determined by the agreement, was a reason for Russia to resume the military operations in Idlib.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the first joint patrol with Turkey was conducted on a side of M4 highway in Idlib.

"Additional time has been given to the Ottoman Turkish side to take special procedures to neutralize "terrorist" formations and to ensure the security of joint patrols on the M4 highway," Russian Ministry of Defense said.

The statement noted that, "In order to carry out their provocations, the snuffies attempted to use civilians as human shields, including women and kiddies."

According to the agreement, the schedule of Russian-Ottoman Turkish patrols on M4 highway will continue for 15 days, as the first patrol took place on March 15.

According to Abu Abdullah, "if Syrian government forces and Iranian groups try to violate the ceasefire agreement, this will be in our favor, because they will be violating the orders of the Russians, and Turkey will put all its might into Idlib."

Dozens of residents of Idlib and armed opposition groups staged a protest on M4 highway, where they blocked the road by setting fire to tires in order to prevent the Russian-Ottoman Turkish joint patrol.

Posted by:Fred

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