Despite Erdogan’s repeated threats to Syrian regime | Turkish forces continue preparations to withdraw from their military posts in regime-held areas in Idlib and Hama

Reliable sources have informed the Syrian Observatory that Turkish forces are continuing their preparations to withdraw from their military posts within the Syrian regime-controlled areas in the rural Hama and Idlib, in accordance with the Russian-Turkish agreement.

Turkish forces continue to dismantle their equipment in Murek and Sher Maghar in western and eastern rural Hama, Al-Sarman, Tal Touqan, Tarnabeh, Mardikh, Ma’ar Hatat, and the eastern post of Saraqeb, which is located in the eastern and south-eastern Idlib countryside. Amid reports of an imminent withdrawal of Turks from their posts in Aleppo countryside in regime-controlled areas in accordance with the agreement with the Russians.

Yesterday, SOHR sources said that a truck driver was killed on the international road near the city of Saraqeb, as regime forces opened fired on rented trucks used to transport equipment of Turkish post “Murek”, north of Hama. Syrian trucks entered from the area of Al-Tarnaba and headed to Saraqeb to reach the international road Damascus-Aleppo “M5”.

Reliable sources have told SOHR that Turkish forces, stationed in Murek observation post in regime-controlled areas in the northern countryside of Hama, started disassembling the observation post, in preparation for leaving it. It is worth noting that the observation post in Murek is the largest Turkish military post in northern Hama and the Turks have been stationed there for nearly two years and four months.

The evacuation of Murek post is underway, although the Turkish president have repeatedly announced that regime forces have to leave all areas captured since April 2019, and despite his threats to expel regime forces in the case that they do not withdraw.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has also monitored the entry of a Turkish military column via Kafr Losin crossing, north of Idlib, heading towards the “Putin-Erdogan” area, while Turkish vehicles headed towards the Joseph area in Jabal al-Zawiya.