Turkey Sends Tanks, Equipment to Syria Border

Citing a military source, Anadolu news agency said the deployment was part of reinforcements for troops stationed along the border.

The vehicles were sent to the Iskenderun district of the southeastern province of Hatay, according to the report.

Late Saturday, Anadolu also reported that the army had dispatched first aid trucks and military vehicles to the same location, along with heavy equipment.

A third convoy of armored vehicles was heading to Hatay’s Reyhanli district, where Turkey’s Cilvegozu border gate with Syria is located.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said Friday that Russia, Iran and Turkey had agreed to deploy observers around a "de-escalation zone” in northern Syria’s Idlib region, which is mostly controlled by militants linked to a former Al-Qaeda affiliate.

It said the observers would look to prevent clashes between forces of the Syrian army and the opposition, and watch for cease-fire violations.

Last month, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Turkey was taking necessary measures along its 150-kilometer border with Idlib.