Erdogan sends troops to Idlib just before meeting with Russia and Iran
The migration crisis on the Turkish-Syrian border is generating a lot of concern among the Turkish population. Public opinion is sharply critical of the flow of people crossing the border between the two countries, and the flood of migrants has been seen as a serious threat to Ankara for some time now. This is one of the main reasons why Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government is trying to strengthen Turkey's position on Syrian territory, despite Russia's support for the current Syrian government, which the Turkish-backed opposition is facing.
Concern is growing in Turkey, which is why Erdogan did not even wait for his meeting with the Russian and Iranian leaders to send his troops to northwest Syria. The meeting with Vladimir Putin and Ebrahim Raisi is scheduled for Wednesday 29 September, although the possible offensive by the government led by Bashar al-Assad has precipitated Turkish plans. Moreover, the Russian president's recent reception of his Syrian counterpart, far from being good news for the Turks, served as an opportunity for Putin to once again attack 'foreign forces' - in reference to Turkey and the United States - who are in Syria 'without the decision of the UN'.
The Syrian president believes that "some states exert a destructive influence on political processes, by all means", adding that "there are other factors as well, we are perfectly aware of them, and we are trying to do our best to solve these pressing problems". Erdogan intends to address this issue in next week's meeting with Vladimir Putin, since, in addition to the already complicated migratory situation with Syria, the arrival of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan could push numerous Afghan refugees into Turkish territory. Turkey's president himself said that "it is high time for all parties concerned to do their part on this issue".
Erdogan believes that 'as a country that saved human dignity in the Syrian crisis, we no longer have the potential or the capacity to observe new immigration flows'. Frustration over the refugee issue is great, but it should not be forgotten that his country received a great deal of economic aid to cope with the incessant waves of migration that Turkey received. Since the agreement reached in 2016, the EU has already provided close to 6 billion euros to Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government to facilitate the reception of refugees, a figure that was even offered to be increased in March this year.
As far as the situation in Syria is concerned, despite the ceasefire agreement reached between Turkey and Russia in March 2020, tensions are at their highest. The Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - an Islamic jihadist-Salafist militant organisation and al-Qaeda offshoot - have recently intensified their offensives on government forces. Russia has repeatedly accused Erdogan's side of not respecting the ceasefire and, moreover, of not encouraging the expulsion of militant groups from Idlib, where both anti-government forces have their bases.
It is important to recall that in early September Turkish forces in Idlib suffered an attack that killed two soldiers and wounded three others. The troop surge in the province is also aimed at preventing such attacks that are costing Turkish military forces lives. However, this will be no easy task. Bashar al-Assad has insisted that he will not relent in his efforts to seize full control of Syrian territory - currently his mandate covers roughly 70 per cent of the country. Erdogan's move is therefore dangerous, especially as a meeting with Russia and Iran is just around the corner.