Discussions are underway between representatives of the Syrian government and the SDF militias to stave off the aggression threatened by Turkish regime leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to cut off Syrian territory. Sources said that results depend on the militias providing field and administrative concessions to the Syrian government in areas dominated and threatened by invasion.
The sources pointed out to al-Watan, that the development of a “defence plan” requires the formation of a joint military “operations room” between the two sides. It is managed and directed by the Syrian Arab Army, given that it is spread along the contact lines of the fronts elected to escalate through them, and in the border areas with Turkey. This is where the Erdogan regime plans to penetrate and establish what he called the so-called “safe zone” at a depth of 30 kilometres inside Syrian territory.
The sources revealed that an agreement to form the “Operations Room” under Russian auspices is close, in anticipation of Erdogan’s threat to carry out his aggression after Eid al-Adha towards Tal Rifaat and Manbij– Russia’s areas of influence west of the Euphrates.
The sources stressed that Moscow is putting all its weight to make the negotiations between Damascus and the SDF succeed, and under its umbrella is its political cover Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), and the Kurdish Autonomous Administration. This is especially the case since the Russian leadership no longer trusts Erdogan, after he agreed that Sweden and Finland join NATO during the last summit in the Spanish capital, Madrid.
According to the sources, the Syrian side has shown wisdom in agreeing to postpone the discussion with SDF on controversial issues such as oil, gas, agricultural, and water wealth. They considered that the priority requires defending Syrian territory without the militias reneging on their promises, so as not to repeat the scenario and tragedy of Afrin, which was occupied by the Turkish regime and its mercenaries in March 2018.
It pointed out that the acceptance of the SDF to deploy large numbers of the Syrian Arab Army recently on the fronts elected for escalation, is a goodwill gesture from it, provided that this is followed by military and administrative decisions. This could allow its deployment to a depth of 30 km along the border strip with Turkey to implement the Adana Agreement and to withdraw any excuse from the Erdogan regime to occupy Syrian territory on the pretext of the existence of what he calls “terrorist organizations” on its border that threatens Turkey’s national security, he claimed.
It pointed out that the leaders of SDF are convinced that NATO countries gave Erdogan a green light to implement his aggressive expansionist plan to occupy new areas of Syria. Therefore, the rapid Russian move to intervene came as an intermediary between the Syrian government and SDF, which realized the seriousness of the Turkish invasion of its areas of influence.
The sources expected the deployment of more Syrian Arab Army soldiers and officers in areas of SDF dominance, particularly in Manbij and Tal Rifaat, during the period preceding Erdogan’s threats to carry out his military operations after Eid al-Adha.