ANKARA: There was fierce fighting on Tuesday between Turkish-backed units of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) in Syria’s north-western province of Idlib.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said his country’s military operations in jihadist-controlled Idlib aim to prevent a potential influx into Turkey.
Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said Turkish soldiers would remain in Idlib until threats against Turkey are dealt with.
While Ankara had long supported rebels fighting the Syrian regime, it is now concentrating on securing Turkey’s southern border against possible terrorist infiltration, and on thwarting territorial gains by the Syrian-Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).
Ankara considers the YPG an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is outlawed in Turkey and has waged a bloody war against the state for more than three decades.
On Sunday, a team from the Turkish Army entered Idlib to carry out reconnaissance activities and determine the location of surveillance posts before the creation of a “de-escalation zone,” the Turkish military said.
After Operation Euphrates Shield to clear the border of Daesh and roll back Syrian-Kurdish territorial gains, this is the second time the Turkish Army conducts an operation in Syria, this time with Russian air support.
Ankara is determined to prevent Syrian Kurds from creating a strategic corridor between the cantons of Kobani and Afrin.
In the framework of the Astana peace talks — brokered on Sept. 15 between Turkey, Russia and Iran to establish de-escalation zones — Ankara will create control points in Idlib for future deployments.
The presence of observers is expected to prevent violations of the cease-fire agreement, and to pacify internal conflicts between militant groups and civilians. HTS is spearheaded by a former Al-Qaeda affiliate, and is not party to the deal.
Turkish opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu on Tuesday announced a six-point summary of the stance of his Republican People’s Party on the Idlib operation, and emphasized the need to protect the lives of Turkish soldiers in Syria.
Mete Sohtaoglu, an expert on extremist movements, said Turkey’s efforts in Idlib are unlikely to go smoothly.
“There are various and competing armed groups in Idlib whose only common denominator is standing against the Assad regime,” he told Arab News.
“No armed resistance occurred during the entry of Turkish troops into Idlib, but these groups don’t want to see in Idlib any rebel faction that fought alongside Turkey in Euphrates Shield.”
Sohtaoglu said the establishment of the de-escalation zone in Idlib aims to provide safety for about 2 million civilians in the region.
“In contrast to Euphrates Shield, this cross-border deployment intends to persuade various armed groups to halt fighting and restore peace,” he added.
“The fate of Afrin, which is controlled by the YPG, will be determined by the joint efforts of Russia and Iran,” he said.
“Moscow is trying to create a pro-regime regiment to counterbalance the YPG presence there,” Sohtaoglu added.
“Turkey’s only contribution on this issue has been preventing Syrian Kurds from reaching the Mediterranean.”
Mehmet Seyfettin Erol, head of the Ankara-based think tank ANKASAM, said the Idlib operation reflects Turkey’s determination and common stance with neighboring countries to bring stability and peace to Syria
“The next step is Afrin. With these operations, Turkey intends to end the civil war in Syria, which requires the eradication of the Syrian branch of a potential Kurdish state,” Erol told Arab News.
“In that regard, the Idlib operation doesn’t only mean eliminating a terror corridor along Turkey’s southern border. It’s also a step to terminating a greater project to destabilize the region.”
Turkey intensifies operation in Syria’s Idlib
Turkey intensifies operation in Syria’s Idlib
Libya’s Ramadan celebrations tempered by economic woes
- Libya’s other economic problems included the absence of a unified national budget, in light of its political divide, as well as uncoordinated public spending due to parallel state institutions, Tetteh said
- Refills of gas cylinders, officially priced at 1.5 dinars ($0.24) but often unavailable through state-run distributors, now sell for 75 dinars ($11.85) on the black market and at times more
TRIPOLI: Libyans have been enjoying Ramadan with feasts and fireworks — but soaring prices, a devalued currency and political divisions have left many with little to celebrate.
Fifteen years on from the fall of longtime leader Muammar Qaddafi, the country remains split between east and west, while shortages of goods, including fuel, disrupt daily life, despite Libya sitting atop vast oil and gas reserves.
During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, shoppers stock up on treats, as families gather for lavish meals before and after the daytime fast that stretches from sunrise to sunset.
But this year supermarkets have been rationing their goods, while many petrol stations are short of gas. In the capital Tripoli, most ATMs were out of cash this week.
Firas Zreeg, 37, told AFP while weaving through a crowded supermarket that the economy was deteriorating, blaming currency speculators for the fall in the dinar, “which has negative repercussions on our daily lives.”
The price of cooking oil has doubled in recent weeks, while meat and poultry prices rose by half.
Refills of gas cylinders, officially priced at 1.5 dinars ($0.24) but often unavailable through state-run distributors, now sell for 75 dinars ($11.85) on the black market and at times more.
- ‘Burden on citizens’ -
Libya has struggled to recover from the chaos that erupted following the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that toppled Qaddafi.
It remains divided between a UN-recognized government based in Tripoli and an eastern administration backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.
The country has largely been stable in recent years although there have been bouts of deadly violence, including the killing of Qaddafi’s son and heir apparent Seif Al-Islam this month.
With security holding, many Libyans are more focused on their livelihoods.
Last month, the central bank in the western territory devalued the dinar — the second time in less than a year — by nearly 15 percent, “aimed at preserving financial and monetary stability and ensuring the sustainability of public resources.”
In an address this week, Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah acknowledged that the devaluation had once again “put the burden on citizens.”
Hanna Tetteh, head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, warned on Wednesday that “poverty and pressure on society [are] increasing.”
“The situation, in addition to the fragile security landscape, should be a matter for concern as such conditions can lead to unexpected political and security challenges,” she told the UN Security Council.
Libya’s other economic problems included the absence of a unified national budget, in light of its political divide, as well as uncoordinated public spending due to parallel state institutions, Tetteh said.
Revenues from the oil industry were also declining, she added, while the central bank has said public spending is growing at an unsustainable pace.
On Tuesday, Libya marked 15 years since the start of the uprising that eventually toppled Qaddafi, with fireworks lighting up the sky in Tripoli, but for many Libyans life remains a struggle.
“Minor improvements in security were made over the past three years,” Zreeg told AFP, but Libyans are still faced with huge economic challenges.
