Report: Turkish forces to leave Syrian govt areas in northwest Syria

This picture taken on August 28, 2020 shows an aerial view of Syrians gathering for an anti-government demonstration by the ruins of a building that was hit in prior bombardment and adorned with a giant flag of the Syrian opposition, in the town of Ariha in the rebel-held northwestern Idlib province. (OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)

DAMASCUS – Turkish forces continued preparations on Monday to withdraw from areas controlled by the Syrian government forces in the countryside of the provinces of Hama and Idlib in northwestern Syria, a war monitor reported.

The Turkish forces are preparing to dismantle the bases and withdraw from the areas controlled by the Syrian forces, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Turkish forces are preparing to dismantle the bases and withdraw from the areas controlled by the Syrian forces, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

The Britain-based watchdog group said the Turkish forces will withdraw from Morek and Shir Maghar from the northern and western countryside of Hama as well as from other six positions in the eastern and southeastern countryside of Idlib.

There is also information that the Turkish forces might withdraw from positions it controls within government-controlled areas in the countryside of the northern province of Aleppo, according to the observatory.

The withdrawal is part of an agreement between Russia and Turkey.

Turkey has maintained several bases in Hama and Idlib countryside as part of previous agreements with Russia to observe a cease-fire between the Syrian forces and the rebels. However, the Syrian army captured several areas in both provinces, which pushed the Turkish forces to prepare for withdrawal.

Source: Report: Turkish forces to leave Syrian govt areas in northwest Syria