BEIRUT: Syrian government forces surrounded a Turkish military observation post in the northwest on Friday after overrunning nearby areas, upping the stakes with Ankara in its Russian-backed offensive against the jihadist-ruled Idlib region.

The move angered Turkey, with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu saying his country’s troops will not quit the observation post as Moscow said that it has agreed with Ankara to "activate mutual efforts" to ease the situation in Idlib.

The town of Morek, where the Turkish troops have been cut off, lies in the north of Hama province, part of a jihadist-ruled region centred on neighbouring Idlib province that has been under government assault since late April. Government forces took control of Morek and other nearby towns including Kafr Zita on Friday, Syrian state news agency SANA said.

Jihadists and allied rebels withdrew from the area ahead of the army’s entry into the strategic town of Khan Sheikhun on Wednesday and government forces took control without resistance, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "Regime forces have surrounded the Turkish observation post in Morek after capturing other towns and villages in this pocket," said the Britain-based monitor.

Speaking at a new conference in the Lebanese capital, Cavusoglu said "our observation point there is not cut-off and nobody can isolate our forces and our soldiers." "We are there, not because we can’t leave but because we don’t want to leave," he told reporters, adding that the issue was being discussed with Damascus allies Russia and Iran. The Morek observation post, established under a deal with Moscow, is one of 12 the Turkish army set up along the front line between government forces and the jihadists and their rebel allies last year.

On Tuesday Cavusoglu vowed that the Turkish army "will do whatever is necessary" to defend these positions. The Turkish presidency has also said that it would not abandon any of it observation posts in Syria. The troops’ mission was to oversee the establishment of a buffer zone agreed by Ankara and Moscow in September.

But the jihadists failed to pull back from the zone as agreed and in April, government and Russian forces resumed intense bombardment of the region. The Kremlin on Friday said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to "activate mutual efforts" to ease the situation in Syria’s Idlib region.

"They discussed the issues of Russian-Turkish cooperation in the context of stabilisation of the de-escalation zone," a statement said. Erdogan is to host his Russian and Iranian counterparts for a summit in Ankara next month to discuss the latest developments.

The Turkish presidency on Friday said regime attacks in Idlib have led to a "grave humanitarian crisis". "These attacks damage the efforts to regulate the Syrian conflict," it said.

The Idlib region, which sits on the Turkish border, is the last major stronghold of opposition to Syria’s Russia-backed government. Since January, it has been ruled by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance, which is led by jihadists from Syria’s former al-Qaeda affiliate.

Other rebel groups allied with Turkey were forced to cede overall control. On August 8, Syrian government forces launched a ground offensive with Russian support against the southern part of the rebel-held region, eyeing control of the main highway from Damascus through Idlib province to second city Aleppo.

Khan Sheikhun and Maarat al-Numan both lie along the highway. "I see (Syrian President Bashar al-) Assad continuing his offensive as momentum is on his side, capturing more of Idlib... and securing more strategic infrastructure," said Syria researcher Samuel Ramani.

Damascus said Thursday it will open a corridor for civilians to leave the area. But most civilians had already fled before the pocket was cut off, according to the Observatory. Since the end of April, more than 400,000 people have fled their homes, particularly in the south of Idlib and north Hama, the United Nations says. </s> BEIRUT: Syrian government forces surrounded a Turkish military observation post in the northwest on Friday after overrunning nearby areas, upping the stakes with Ankara in its Russian-backed offensive against Idlib region.

 The move angered Turkey, with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu saying his country’s troops will not quit the observation post as Moscow said that it has agreed with Ankara to “activate mutual efforts” to ease the situation in Idlib.

 The town of Morek, where the Turkish troops have been cut off, lies in the north of Hama province, part of a fighter-ruled region centred on neighbouring Idlib province that has been under government assault since late April.

 Government forces took control of Morek and other nearby towns including Kafr Zita on Friday, Syrian state news agency SANA said.

 Fighters and allied rebels withdrew from the area ahead of the army’s entry into the strategic town of Khan Sheikhun on Wednesday and government forces took control without resistance, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

 “Regime forces have surrounded the Turkish observation post in Morek after capturing other towns and villages in this pocket,” said the Britain-based monitor.

 Speaking at a new conference in the Lebanese capital, Cavusoglu said, “our observation point there is not cut-off and nobody can isolate our forces and our soldiers.”

NO SECURITY

 “We are there, not because we can’t leave but because we don’t want to leave,” he told reporters, adding that the issue was being discussed with Damascus allies Russia and Iran.

 The Morek observation post, established under a deal with Moscow, is one of 12 the Turkish army set up along the front line between government forces and the fighters and their rebel allies last year.

 On Tuesday Cavusoglu vowed that the Turkish army “will do whatever is necessary” to defend these positions.

 The Turkish presidency has also said that it would not abandon any of it observation posts in Syria.

 The troops’ mission was to oversee the establishment of a buffer zone agreed by Ankara and Moscow in September. But the fighters failed to pull back from the zone as agreed and in April, government and Russian forces resumed intense bombardment of the region.

 The Kremlin on Friday said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to “activate mutual efforts” to ease the situation in Syria’s Idlib region.

 “They discussed the issues of Russian-Turkish cooperation in the context of stabilisation of the de-escalation zone,” a statement said.

HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

 Erdogan is to host his Russian and Iranian counterparts for a summit in Ankara next month to discuss the latest developments.

 The Turkish presidency on Friday said regime attacks in Idlib have led to a “grave humanitarian crisis”.

 “These attacks damage the efforts to regulate the Syrian conflict,” it said.

 The Idlib region, which sits on the Turkish border, is the last major stronghold of opposition to Syria’s Russia-backed government.

 Since January, it has been ruled by the Hayat Tahrir al Sham alliance, which is led by fighters from Syria’s former Al Qaeda affiliate.

 Other rebel groups allied with Turkey were forced to cede overall control.

 On August 8, Syrian government forces launched a ground offensive with Russian support against the southern part of the rebel-held region, eyeing control of the main highway from Damascus through Idlib province to second city Aleppo.

 Khan Sheikhun and Maarat al Numan both lie along the highway.

 “I see (Syrian President Assad) continuing his offensive as momentum is on his side, capturing more of Idlib… and securing more strategic infrastructure,” said Syria researcher Samuel Ramani.

 Damascus said Thursday it will open a corridor for civilians to leave the area.

 But most civilians had already fled before the pocket was cut off, according to the Observatory. — AFP </s> ANKARA (Reuters) - Syrian government forces opened fire on a Turkish observation post in northwest Syria, two Turkish officials told Reuters on Thursday, but there were no Turkish casualties.

The incident came after an air strike halted a Turkish military convoy and killed three civilians on Monday as the convoy headed south towards another observation post.

Turkey has 12 observation posts in northwest Syria, set up under an agreement with Russia and Iran. On Wednesday, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said all of Turkey’s observation posts will remain in place, and support to the posts will continue. </s> Syrian Regime Forces Surround Turkish Army Post

FILE PHOTO: A street vendor sells toys next to rubble of damaged buildings in the city of Idlib, Syria May 25, 2019. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi/File Photo

Asharq Al-Awsat

Regime forces surrounded a Turkish military observation post on Friday after overrunning nearby villages following their capture of the key northwestern town of Khan Sheikhoun from opposition fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.



The town of Morek, where the Turkish troops have been cut off, lies in the north of Hama province, part of the opposition-ruled region centered on neighboring Idlib province that has been under regime assault since late April.



"Regime forces have surrounded the Turkish observation post in Morek after capturing other towns and villages in this pocket," the Observatory said.



Opposition fighters had withdrawn from the area ahead of the army's entry into Idlib province’s Khan Sheikhoun on Wednesday.



Government forces overran the rest of the pocket, including the town of Kafr Zita without resistance.



The observation post in Morek is one of 12 the Turkish army set up along the front line between government forces and the opposition fighters last year.



Ankara vowed on Tuesday that it would not abandon any of the posts and warned Damascus "not to play with fire".



"We will do whatever is necessary to ensure the security of our soldiers and observation posts," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara.



The troops' mission was to oversee the establishment of a buffer zone agreed by Ankara and Moscow in September.



But the fighters failed to pull back from the zone as agreed and in April, government and Russian forces resumed intense bombardment of the region. </s> ANKARA: One of Turkey’s observation posts was hit by shelling from an area controlled by Syrian government forces in northwestern Syria, the Turkish defence ministry said on Sunday.

There were no casualties but the ministry said equipment was damaged in the assault while Turkish forces "immediately retaliated with heavy weapons". Shelling and mortar fire "understood to be deliberate" fired from Tall Bazan region held by Syrian regime forces hit the post in Murak region, the ministry said in a statement.

The assault comes less than four days after three Turkish soldiers were hit in another attack Turkey said was "deliberate" on another observation post on Thursday. Two Turkish soldiers were hurt in May in a similar attack blamed on Damascus.

Turkey has 12 military observation posts in Idlib, northwestern Syria, the last bastion of Jihadist forces, in a bid to prevent a large-scale offensive in the region. Ankara fears such an assault would push hundreds of thousands of refugees into Turkey. Turkish officials made representations to Russia about the latest attack, the ministry said. Moscow provides support to the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad. </s> Syrian regime forces have surrounded a Turkish military observation post in the embattled north-western province of Idlib today, after they overran a number of neighbouring towns.

In a viral video recorded by the Turkish soldiers and posted on Twitter today, Syrian troops and military vehicles including tanks can be seen approaching the area near the town of Morek, where one of the 12 observation posts manned by the Turkish military is stationed.

The Syrian army’s march toward the Turkish observation post has taken place after its forces, along with Russian and Iranian troops, captured Morek and its surrounding towns, pushing further into the province of Idlib in its campaign to retake the last major stronghold of the Syrian opposition.

The UK-based organisation Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has stated that “Regime forces have surrounded the Turkish observation post in Morek after capturing other towns and villages in this pocket.” On their arrival at the areas, the army found them to be “deserted” following the withdrawal of opposition forces prior to its entry.

Ankara promised on Wednesday that it would not abandon any of its observation posts which were established in the north and north-west of the country under deal struck with Russia, the Syrian regime’s ally and supporter in the region, and has warned the regime “not to play with fire”. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters that “We will do whatever is necessary to ensure the security of our soldiers and observation posts.”

The primary purpose of the observation post was to oversee the creation of a buffer or de-escalation zone in Idlib, which was agreed upon between Turkey and Russia in September 2018. Since then, however, that plan has been largely foiled by the regime’s all-out land and air assault on the province since April. Over the past week in particular, the regime and its allies have been making rapid advances in the campaign to retake Idlib, with one of the most recent devastating losses for the Syrian opposition occurring earlier in the week when the city of Khan Sheikhoun and its surrounding hills and checkpoints fell into the regime’s hands.

The army’s surrounding of the Turkish observation post has raised concerns, however, that it could take direct military action against the post and the Turkish soldiers besieged in it. It would not be the first time that regime forces have attacked the posts and their soldiers; they have previously shelled military bases. On Monday, the regime also conducted an air strike on a Turkish military convoy passing through Idlib, causing many to anticipate a looming direct military confrontation. </s> Omar Haj Kadour, AFP | A picture taken with a drone shows damaged buildings in the rebel-held town of Morek, in the northern countryside of Hama province on October 13, 2018.

Syrian government forces surrounded a Turkish military observation post in the northwest on Friday after overrunning nearby areas, upping the stakes with Ankara in its Russian-backed offensive against the jihadist-ruled Idlib region.

The move angered Turkey, with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu saying his country’s troops will not quit the observation post as Moscow said that it has agreed with Ankara to “activate mutual efforts” to ease the situation in Idlib.

The town of Morek, where the Turkish troops have been cut off, lies in the north of Hama province, part of a jihadist-ruled region centred on neighbouring Idlib province that has been under government assault since late April.

Government forces took control of Morek and other nearby towns including Kafr Zita on Friday, Syrian state news agency SANA said.

Jihadists and allied rebels withdrew from the area ahead of the army’s entry into the strategic town of Khan Sheikhun on Wednesday and government forces took control without resistance, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

“Regime forces have surrounded the Turkish observation post in Morek after capturing other towns and villages in this pocket,” said the Britain-based monitor.

Speaking at a new conference in the Lebanese capital, Cavusoglu said “our observation point there is not cut-off and nobody can isolate our forces and our soldiers.”

“We are there, not because we can’t leave but because we don’t want to leave,” he told reporters, adding that the issue was being discussed with Damascus allies Russia and Iran.

The Morek observation post, established under a deal with Moscow, is one of 12 the Turkish army set up along the front line between government forces and the jihadists and their rebel allies last year.

On Tuesday Cavusoglu vowed that the Turkish army “will do whatever is necessary” to defend these positions.

The Turkish presidency has also said that it would not abandon any of it observation posts in Syria.

The troops’ mission was to oversee the establishment of a buffer zone agreed by Ankara and Moscow in September.

But the jihadists failed to pull back from the zone as agreed and in April, government and Russian forces resumed intense bombardment of the region.

The Kremlin on Friday said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to “activate mutual efforts” to ease the situation in Syria’s Idlib region.

“They discussed the issues of Russian-Turkish cooperation in the context of stabilisation of the de-escalation zone,” a statement said.

Erdogan is to host his Russian and Iranian counterparts for a summit in Ankara next month to discuss the latest developments.

The Turkish presidency on Friday said regime attacks in Idlib have led to a “grave humanitarian crisis”.

“These attacks damage the efforts to regulate the Syrian conflict,” it said.

The Idlib region, which sits on the Turkish border, is the last major stronghold of opposition to Syria’s Russia-backed government.

Since January, it has been ruled by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance, which is led by jihadists from Syria’s former Al-Qaeda affiliate.

Other rebel groups allied with Turkey were forced to cede overall control.

On August 8, Syrian government forces launched a ground offensive with Russian support against the southern part of the rebel-held region, eyeing control of the main highway from Damascus through Idlib province to second city Aleppo.

Khan Sheikhun and Maarat al-Numan both lie along the highway.

“I see (Syrian President Bashar al-) Assad continuing his offensive as momentum is on his side, capturing more of Idlib... and securing more strategic infrastructure,” said Syria researcher Samuel Ramani.

Damascus said Thursday it will open a corridor for civilians to leave the area.

But most civilians had already fled before the pocket was cut off, according to the Observatory.

Since the end of April, more than 400,000 people have fled their homes, particularly in the south of Idlib and north Hama, the United Nations says.

Around 900 civilians have been killed, according to the Observatory.

Following a string of victories against jihadists and other rebel groups, Assad’s government now controls around 60 percent of Syrian territory.

The war in Syria has killed more than 370,000 people since it started with the brutal suppression of anti-government protests in 2011. </s> The Syrian Army may eliminate Turkish observation points in the Idlib de-escalation zone to cut off supplies of terror groups that are operating in the area, the aide of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, Bouthaina Shaaban, told the Al-Mayadeen broadcaster.

“The Turkish observation point in the settlement of Morek is under siege. The Syrian army will be able to eliminate Turkish observation points and terrorists,” Shaaban said on Friday.

She pointed out that Turkey was supplying terror groups with weapons.

“Turkey has not complied with the agreements, signed in Astana [currently, Nur-Sultan] and turned the observation points into facilities, used for redeploying weapons and occupying our territories,” Shaaban added.

This week, the Syrian Army has been conducting a successful operation in the Hama province, which borders Idlib to the southwest, capturing the strategic town of Khan Sheikhoun and the villages of Kafr Zita, Ltamenah, Latmeen and Tal Fas. Morek, which hosts the Turkish observation point, remains unseized to date.

On Thursday, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said that Turkey would maintain its presence at the observation post despite the Syrian army’s operation. </s> BEIRUT, LEBANON (12:40 P.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has taken control of the entire northern Hama pocket this morning after the remaining militants either fled to the Turkish observation post or surrendered to the military.

According to a military source in Hama, the Syrian Army has taken control of the last five towns that were under the control of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham and Jaysh Al-Izza.

The five towns that were previously under militant control were Kafr Zita, Al-Latamnah, Latmeen, Morek, and Lahaya.

The source said the Syrian Army has moved their troops toward the Turkish military’s observation post in Morek; however, no clashes are expected.

The Turkish regime has already said they will not withdraw from the observation post, despite being surrounded by the Syrian Arab Army.

With the Syrian Army in control of this former militant pocket, they have managed to secure the government strongholds of Al-Sqaylabiyeh and Mhardeh.

It is likely that the Syrian Army will now shift their attention to either Ma’arat Al-Nu’man or the Al-Ghaab Plain.

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The Turkish observation post near Murak is encircled by government forces.