Turkish military operation in Idlib Governorate


The Turkish military operation in Idlib Governorate, also described as Idlib De-escalation Control Force activities, is an operation by the Turkish Armed Forces which started in October 2017, following the earlier Operation Euphrates Shield. It is the third operation of the Turkish occupation of northern Syria, following Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Shah Euphrates.

Background

The operation was launched following the 2017 Astana agreement and subsequent Sochi agreement between Turkey, Russia and Iran. Among other things, the two agreements contained provisions for the Turkish Armed Forces to set up and maintain 12 observation posts within rebel-held territories in the Idlib Governorate.

List of observation posts

The following is a non-exhaustive list of observation posts and other military installations of the Turkish Armed Forces in Idlib:


LocationOrder of ConstructionDate of ConstructionNumber designation per Turkish ArmyDate of encirclement by SAA
Salva village near Al-Dana113 October 2017No. 1
Samaan village near Darat Izza223 October 2017No. 2
Aquil Mountain near Darat Izza319 November 2017No. 317 February 2020
Al-Eiss near Al-Hadher45 February 2018No. 68 February 2020
Tell Touqan59 February 2018No. 75 February 2020
Sarman615 February 2018No. 821 December 2019
Anadan717 March 2018No. 416 February 2020
Zaytuneh83 April 2018No. 12
Murak97 April 2018No. 922 August 2019
Rashidin in Western Aleppo109 May 2018No. 529 January 2020
Zawiyah in southern Idlib1114 May 2018No. 1027 February 2020
Ishtabrak in southwestern Idlib1216 May 2018No. 11
Maar Hattat1320 August 2019Unofficial1 February 2020
South of Saraqib1430 January 2020Unofficial5-6 February 2020
North of Saraqib1530 January 2020Unofficial
East of Saraqib161 February 2020Unofficial
West of Saraqib near Tarnbah172 February 2020Unofficial
West of Saraqib near Msibin182 February 2020Unofficial
Taftanaz Military Airbase196 February 2020Unofficial
Between Idlib City and Saraqib207 February 2020Unofficial
Al-Mastumah218 February 2020Unofficial
Maarat Al-Naasan2210 February 2020Unofficial13-14 February 2020
Al-Jinah - Atareb2311 February 2020Unofficial
between Binnish and Taoum2412 February 2020Unofficial
Deir Sunbul in Jabal Al-Zawiya2514 February 2020Unofficial
Kafr Karmin west of Aleppo2614 February 2020Unofficial
West of Darat Izza2715 February 2020Unofficial
Termanin2814 February 2020Unofficial
Al-Bardakly, between Sarmada and Al-Dana2917 February 2020Unofficial
Nahlia village north of Ariha3017 February 2020Unofficial
Mu'tarm west of Ariha3117 February 2020Unofficial
Sarmin3218 February 2020Unofficial
Al Barah3324 February 2020Unofficial
South of Kansafra3424 February 2020Unofficial
Bassams3524 February 2020Unofficial
Kafr Nashe365 March 2020Unofficial

2017

Turkish Armed Forces set up their first observation outposts in Idlib in October 2017. Following their deployments, there were reports of minor clashes with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants.

2018

February

In February 2018 the Turkish military observation outposts were expanded in Northern and Southeastern Idlib. On the 6 of the same month a Turkish observation was attacked by rockets and mortars resulting in a Turkish soldier being killed and wounding 5 other Turkish servicemen. The attack was conducted by Militants per Middle East Eye.

May

On 22 May 2018, the Turkish army established the 12th and last military observation post in Idlib province amid risk of more tension with the Syrian Government and insurgent groups.

September

On 15 September 2018, the Turkish observation posts were made an official part of the 2018 Idlib demilitarization agreement.

2019

Following the start of the 2019 Northwestern Syria offensive, Turkish observation posts exchanged artillery fire with Syrian Army units multiple times.
At some point around August 2019, the Turkish Armed Forces constructed an unofficial 13th observation post at Maar Hattat, 10 kilometers south of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man.
In late August 2019, the Turkish observation post at Murak was fully encircled by the Syrian Army after it captured a rebel pocket in the region. The Turkish government announced that it would not move or dismantle the post.
In late December 2019, the Turkish observation post near Sarman was encircled by the Syrian Army during the course of its Autumn offensive. Turkey has stated that it would not evacuate the post.

2020

On 29 January, the Syrian Army encircled the Turkish observation post at Rashidin in the western outsrikts of Aleppo after pushing back rebel forces from the area.
On 30 January, following the Syrian Army's capture of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, the Turkish Army set up two more observation posts - just South and North of the town of Saraqib. It then established a third post to the east of the town on 1 February.
On 1 February, the Syrian military encircled the Turkish observation post at Maar Hattat, which was built following the Syrian Army's capture of Khan Shaykhun in the summer of 2019.
On 3 February, Syrian Army shelling killed seven Turkish soldiers and one civilian contractor. Seven soldiers were also wounded. The Turkish Army retaliated by targeting Syrian Army positions with artillery and howitzer fire, resulting in 13 dead.
On 5 February, the Syrian Army captured the village of Tell Touqan and thus encircled the Turkish observation post located there. It was not immediately made clear whether or not the post was placed under siege.
On 6 February, the Turkish Armed Forces established a new outpost at Taftanaz Military Airbase. It was reportedly targeted by the Syrian Air Force just hours after its establishment. The Syrian Army completely enrcircled the town of Saraqib, which hosts four unofficial TAF military installations.
On 7 February, the Turkish Armed Forces created a new military post east of Idlib City, just west of Saraqib.
On 8 February, the Turkish Armed Forces established yet another military post, this time located in the Al-Mastumah area between Idlib City and Ariha. A day after the Syrian Army began encircling the Turkish observation post at Al-Eiss, it managed to capture both the town and its corresponding hill after the rebel forces that previously controlled it withdrew following a three-pronged envelopment by government forces.
On 10 February, five or six Turkish soldiers were killed and another seven were wounded due to artillery fire from the Syrian Armed Forces.
On 14 February, the Turkish army set up a base at Deir Sunbul village.
On 15 February, the Turkish army established two new military posts near Darat Izza.
On 16 February, the Syrian Army shelled the Turkish military post at Shekh Aqil, reportedly injuring many Turkish soldiers.
On 17 February, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the Turkish military had established several more military posts, bringing the total number of official and unofficial Turkish military installations in Idlib up to 35.
On 20 February, 2 Turkish soldiers died and 5 were reported wounded while they were assaulting, along with their proxies, the town of Al-Nayrab.
On 26 February, 2 Turkish troops were killed and several others were reported wounded following a Syrian airstrike in Idlib province. The Syrian Army captured Deir Sunbul, besieging the nearby Turkish observation post stationed nearby in an area called Sheir Maghar.
On 27 February, at least 33 Turkish soldiers were killed by Syrian or Russian airstrikes. Rebel forces advanced on Saraqeb under the cover of Turkish missile fire, thus managing to recapture the town and lift the siege imposed on three of the four surrounding Turkish observation posts - to the north, west and south of the town. The eastern observation post remained surrounded by government forces.
On 28 February, one Turkish soldier died and six more were wounded in Syrian air and artillery strikes in Idlib.
On 18 March, Turkish troops entered the de-escalation zone to reopen the M4 highway previously blocked by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and jihadist factions.
On 5 May, Syrian forces destroyed a Turkish bulldozer with a missile in Al-Dweir checkpoint north of Saraqeb. A second bulldozer sent to retrieve the first was in turn destroyed by another missile, killing and wounding the drivers.
On 27 May, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced the death of a Turkish soldier by a explosion in the Aleppo-Latakia Highway in northwestern Idlib. A convoy of Turkish military vehicles and opposition factions was targeted by a IED, Turkish helicopters evacuated the wounded to Al-Rayhaniyyah.

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