Turkey vows to retaliate in strongest manner

[Black Red Devil]

“In the event of a new attack, the proper response will be given in the strongest manner based on the right of self-defense,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also said Turkish observation posts in Idlib “continue their duties and are capable of protecting themselves with the weapons and equipment they possess.”

On Feb. 3, an Assad regime attack in Idlib, northwestern Syria, killed seven Turkish soldiers and one civilian contractor working with the Turkish military and injured over a dozen people.

In retaliation, Turkey struck over 50 targets and killed 76 Syrian soldiers.

link

I wonder where Russia fits into this.  Neutral, with long time ally Assad or future ally Erdogan?

[Unusual Tournament]

1 minute ago, Black Red Devil said:

“In the event of a new attack, the proper response will be given in the strongest manner based on the right of self-defense,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also said Turkish observation posts in Idlib “continue their duties and are capable of protecting themselves with the weapons and equipment they possess.”

On Feb. 3, an Assad regime attack in Idlib, northwestern Syria, killed seven Turkish soldiers and one civilian contractor working with the Turkish military and injured over a dozen people.

In retaliation, Turkey struck over 50 targets and killed 76 Syrian soldiers.

link

I wonder where Russia fits into this.  Neutral, with long time ally Assad or future ally Erdogan?

I read an article today that hints that Turkey was in the process of cutting a deal with America on Syria behind the back of Russia and Putin struck first. Im inclined to believe. It fits chess playing Putin's MO. 

[Unusual Tournament]

...also its worth mentioning that during the last 24 hours, America has cut all Syrian intelligence sharing with Turkey. So somewhere between Russia and America, it looks like Turkey tried to play both of them off each other and now they're playing Turkey. One with pushing Turkey out of its last stronghold and the other supporting the Kurds by playing interference.  

[Grim Reaper 6]

1 minute ago, Black Red Devil said:

“In the event of a new attack, the proper response will be given in the strongest manner based on the right of self-defense,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also said Turkish observation posts in Idlib “continue their duties and are capable of protecting themselves with the weapons and equipment they possess.”

On Feb. 3, an Assad regime attack in Idlib, northwestern Syria, killed seven Turkish soldiers and one civilian contractor working with the Turkish military and injured over a dozen people.

In retaliation, Turkey struck over 50 targets and killed 76 Syrian soldiers.

link

I wonder where Russia fits into this.  Neutral, with long time ally Assad or future ally Erdogan?

There is no telling what Russia will do, however, I don't think this is a major escalation either. Currently with US Soldiers guarding the Oil Fields, Syria isn't worth that much, since that is where their revenue comes from. I see this as more of a probing operation, in other words Syria is trying to see what Turkey will do if attacked. Only time will tell for certain, but I think we will see more of this in the months to come.

Peace

[Black Red Devil]

6 minutes ago, Captain Risky said:

...also its worth mentioning that during the last 24 hours, America has cut all Syrian intelligence sharing with Turkey. So somewhere between Russia and America, it looks like Turkey tried to play both of them off each other and now they're playing Turkey. One with pushing Turkey out of its last stronghold and the other supporting the Kurds by playing interference.  

You could be right.  Both want Turkey's alliance but Erdogan's in the way.  I read somewhere in the past he wanted to be remembered as the new Ataturk, a very popular Turkish politician responsible for reforming Turkey after WWI.  So being a sidekick of one of the superpowers doesn't fit in well with someone trying to achieve national hero status.

[DarkHunter]

Approximately 8 hours ago it seems over 200 Turkish military vehicles entered Idlib.

https://mobile.twitter.com/ELINTNews/status/1226247351196692480

If Turkey would decide to act the Syrian military almost certainly wouldnt be able to do much to stop them and Russia doesnt really have a significantly powerful military force in Syria to stop a large quick organized attack by Turkey.  Erdogan has done past military operations that have chipped away at Syria and if he feels the Turkish backed rebels are about to fall he might just try to grab the entire province.  Ultimately it's unlikely anything too major will happen as Syria cant beat Turkey and Turkey wont risk a wider war with Russia.

[Unusual Tournament]

6 hours ago, DarkHunter said:

Approximately 8 hours ago it seems over 200 Turkish military vehicles entered Idlib.

https://mobile.twitter.com/ELINTNews/status/1226247351196692480

If Turkey would decide to act the Syrian military almost certainly wouldnt be able to do much to stop them and Russia doesnt really have a significantly powerful military force in Syria to stop a large quick organized attack by Turkey.  Erdogan has done past military operations that have chipped away at Syria and if he feels the Turkish backed rebels are about to fall he might just try to grab the entire province.  Ultimately it's unlikely anything too major will happen as Syria cant beat Turkey and Turkey wont risk a wider war with Russia.

Please. It took Turkey months to capture the town of Afrin. A town that fell to the Kurds with American air support in weeks. Russia controls the airspace and controls the Kurds. They can unleash them on Turkey and start a civil war if Turkey so much as misbehaves. 

Erdogan miscalculated by making deals with Putin and Iran. He invited trouble by siding with them against the interests of America. Now that Russia is entrenched in Syria they will be a thorn in Turkeys side.  

[Buzz_Light_Year]

Everything you need to know about Syria in one image.

[DarkHunter]

2 hours ago, Captain Risky said:

Please. It took Turkey months to capture the town of Afrin. A town that fell to the Kurds with American air support in weeks. Russia controls the airspace and controls the Kurds. They can unleash them on Turkey and start a civil war if Turkey so much as misbehaves. 

Erdogan miscalculated by making deals with Putin and Iran. He invited trouble by siding with them against the interests of America. Now that Russia is entrenched in Syria they will be a thorn in Turkeys side.  

It took Turkey so long to take Afrin cause they were using the Turkish backed rebels with limited support from the Turkish military, essentially the only support they got was limited artillery fire.

Russia only has a little over 70 planes in Syria, 25 of which are strategic bombers, 20 are tactical bombers, 20 fighters, 4 to 5 fighter/bombers, and a few interceptors.  Turkey has close to around 250 F-16s of which a significant number are of the latest version.  If Turkey wants to they can rather easily take control of the airspace.

Russia doesnt control the Kurds, they have screwed the Kurds about as equally as the Americans have.  There were quite a few agreements where Russia was supposed to protect the Kurds from Turkey but they never did.  The Kurds are just an independent faction in the Syrian civil war.  Even then whenever the Kurds within Turkey try to fight they get suppressed rather heavily and quickly by the Turkish military.

[DarkHunter]

2 hours ago, Buzz_Light_Year said:

Everything you need to know about Syria in one image.

That picture has been discredited multiple times already.  The plan for both pipelines never left the conceptual stage and the Syrian civil war started after both plans were abandoned.  Even then what the pic suggest makes no sense, for the US backed pipeline wouldnt of been that difficult to keep it going on a straight line through Jordan into Israel, or turn into Egypt, and have it go underwater to Turkey.

[RoofGardener]

15 hours ago, Black Red Devil said:

In retaliation, Turkey struck over 50 targets and killed 76 Syrian soldiers.

Imagine the shrieking from AOC and The Squad about Islamophobia and Racism if this had been an American attack ? 

But a Muslim Turkish attack ? 

Total silence. 

[Setton]

1 hour ago, RoofGardener said:

Imagine the shrieking from AOC and The Squad about Islamophobia and Racism if this had been an American attack ? 

But a Muslim Turkish attack ? 

Total silence. 

Yes, they screamed and raged when the US retaliated against KH for killing a US contractor. 

Except, wait, no they didn't. 

[DarkHunter]

Another large Turkish convoy has entered Idlib, this time it seems a large amount of APCs were being sent into Idlib with some rumors of actual tanks being sent too.  

Current rumor is that the Turkish backed rebels are going to do a massive offensive tomorrow with the objective to drag the Syrian Arab Army into attacking the Turkish military so they can directly enter the conflict.

[RoofGardener]

11 hours ago, Setton said:

Yes, they screamed and raged when the US retaliated against KH for killing a US contractor. 

Except, wait, no they didn't. 

They most certainly DID shriek and scream when the US killed Soleimani. 

[Setton]

4 hours ago, RoofGardener said:

They most certainly DID shriek and scream when the US killed Soleimani. 

Well the unprovoked assassination of a foreign general is slightly different to a retaliatory attack on the force that just attacked you. 

[RoofGardener]

5 minutes ago, Setton said:

Well the unprovoked assassination of a foreign general is slightly different to a retaliatory attack on the force that just attacked you. 

Unprovoked ? 

HAH ! 

[Setton]

Just now, RoofGardener said:

Unprovoked ? 

HAH ! 

So what was the provocation? 

[Mr.United_Nations]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-51447114

[RoofGardener]

2 hours ago, Setton said:

So what was the provocation? 

How short peoples memories are. 

https://www.ft.com/content/b707adf0-2960-11ea-a126-99756bd8f45e

[Setton]

1 hour ago, RoofGardener said:

How short peoples memories are. 

https://www.ft.com/content/b707adf0-2960-11ea-a126-99756bd8f45e

By KH. Not soleimani and not Iran. 

And the US retaliated by attacking several KH sites across Iraq. 

That was fine and you'll notice there was no 'screaming and raging'. That was my initial example. 

Then the US assassinated Soleimani out of the blue a few weeks later citing supposed 'imminent threats'. 

That is a preemptive strike, not retaliation. Although post 2003 we should all know that the US definition of 'imminent' is... flexible to say the least. 

Edited February 10, 2020 by Setton

[RoofGardener]

Yeah, but the KH is subsidised by the Quds Force, of which Soleimani was the leader ! 

[DarkHunter]

About an hour or so ago a convoy made up of Turkish backed rebels and Turkish soldiers was attacked.  It's not clear if it was attacked by Syrian artillery or was bombed by a Russian jet but going by damage done and aerial activity the Russian jet seems the most likely.  Seems people were killed and injured but it's not clear if any Turkish soldiers were killed or just injured.

Earlier, about 7 hour ago, Syria did attack another Turkish outpost and killed 5 Turkish soldiers and wounded 5 more.  Turkey says they retaliated and targeted 115 targets and managed to destroy 105 of them, but a lot of people are questioning how accurate the statement is.  Syria has denied that Turkey has retaliated at all.

[Setton]

1 hour ago, RoofGardener said:

Yeah, but the KH is subsidised by the Quds Force, of which Soleimani was the leader ! 

And? 

Does that mean Iraqi protestors have the right to murder our politicians? We gave the weapons to the ISF that they've used to kill hundreds of civilians. 

Just because you supply someone, does not mean you are accountable for every action they take. 

Edited February 10, 2020 by Setton

[+and-then]

6 hours ago, RoofGardener said:

How short peoples memories are. 

https://www.ft.com/content/b707adf0-2960-11ea-a126-99756bd8f45e

His memory isn't short, he just has a firm belief that America is the cause of the world's problems, therefore, we deserve what happens to us and have no right to retaliate.  Him, I can ignore.  It's the Democrats in government that share his views that make me want to do violence at times.

[Setton]

Just now, and then said:

His memory isn't short, he just has a firm belief that America is the cause of the world's problems, therefore, we deserve what happens to us and have no right to retaliate.  Him, I can ignore.  It's the Democrats in government that share his views that make me want to do violence at times.

I do hope you enjoy your flights of fancy. But done try and pin them on the rest of us.