Tahrir Al-Sham Attempting to Find Strong Foothold in Idlib with Ankara's Support

The Arabic-language al-Watan newspaper quoted a source close to the terrorists as saying on Monday that the 'Salvation Government' affiliated to Tahrir al-Sham has formed a 'Consultative Council' to stabilize its presence in Idlib and format an integrated military and civil organizations in regions under its occupation.

He added that Turkey's only reaction has been ordering its affiliated so-called 'Interim Government' to stay away from Tahrir's move.

Meantime, local sources in Idlib province said that Tahrir al-Sham's measures to guarantee its presence in Idlib province are in line with Turkey's attempts to delay and block implementation of the Sochi agreement signed between Ankara and Moscow over the demilitarized zone which is always used by the terrorists to attack the safe areas and the Syrian army positions.

Al-Watan had also earlier this year reported that Ankara was integrating the terrorist groups in regions occupied by them in Northern Syria, adding that the move contradicts Turkey's undertakings under the Sochi agreement.

The newspaper quoted sources close to the terrorists as saying that the Turkish military and intelligence officials had promised the ringleaders of Ahrar al-Sham, Nour al-Din Zinki and the so-called National Liberation Front (NLF) terrorist groups that they would merge them along with Tahrir al-Sham within the framework of a military organization.

They added that Turkey had also promised them to set up a parliament and an autonomous government after dissolution of Tahrir al-Sham in territories occupied by the militants, adding that Faylaq al-Sham which had recently been joined by 18 other terrorist groups in Northern Idlib and Western Aleppo was due to be the political branch of the new organization and Tahrir al-Sham would take the responsibility for its military wing.

The military experts warned that Turkey's measures were against the Sochi agreement to establish a demilitarized zone in Northern Syria and the Turkish president's promises to his Russian counterpart in the January meeting in Moscow, adding that the move by Ankara had left the Syrian army with the only option of cleansing Tahrir al-Sham from the demilitarized zone.

Message end/