Turkish army braces to enter Syria's Idlib: report

The Turkish army is bracing to enter Syria's northwestern province of Idlib as part of the "de-escalation zone" deal reached recently between Russia, Iran and Turkey, pan-Arab Mayadeen TV reported on Saturday, citing "activists."

According to the report, the Turkish side sent a telegram to the armed rebel factions in Idlib, informing them that Turkish forces will enter the border area in Idlib province, near Turkey.

The Turkish side told the rebel factions not to consider the Turkish forces as forces of occupation, and not to resist them, according to the report.

The telegram was reportedly conveyed by a Turkish envoy, who met with leaders of the rebel factions in Idlib, and included "security warning" from the Turkish side to the rebels of not resisting.

According to the telegram, "the Turkish forces will temporarily deploy inside the border villages with armored vehicles and infantry forces as a first step" as the areas will be free of any presence of Syria or Russian warplanes.

Maintenance workers will also enter the area to fix the water and electricity network as well as rehabilitating the infrastructure of that province, according to the telegram.

Regarding the presence of the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, which is deemed as a terrorist group that is excluded from any deal, the telegram suggested that the Turkish forces will not attack that terror-designated group, but will resolve their situation "diplomatically" by pushing them to hand over their positions to the Turkish army and evacuate Idlib.

Meanwhile, the report cited a breakaway Syrian officer with the rebels as confirming the Turkish army's preparation to enter Idlib to establish military bases there.

The report said that tension has prevailed Idlib since Friday with the news of Turkish military buildup near the borders.

The de-escalation zones' deal went into effect in Syria at midnight Saturday.

On Friday, Russian media reports cited Russia's General Sergei Rudskoi, head of the main operational directorate of Russia's military, as stating that the agreement brokered by Moscow, Ankara and Tehran to establish "de-escalation zones" in main battlefields in Syria will go into force as of midnight Saturday.

According to the agreement, the government and opposition forces will halt fighting for six months in four zones, in the northwestern province of Idlib part of Aleppo countryside, the central province of Homs, the Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus, and areas in the Daraa and Qunaitera provinces in southern Syria.

On Thursday evening during the Astana talks, Russia, Iran and Turkey signed a memorandum on the creation of four or more safe zones in Syria.

Syria's Foreign Ministry announced the acceptance of the Syrian government to the safe zone plan.

However, some factions of the Syrian opposition announced it would not accept it, saying the pact threatens Syria's territorial integrity. Endit