Turkish Armed Forces to establish two air bases in Idlib

Turkish Commando units are set to advance along the southern border of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)-occupied region of Afrin, along a strip that will stretch 20 kilometers in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, where the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) are said to be handed over control over two air bases.

A distance of three kilometers separate Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and PKK terrorists, as units continue to be deployed all the way toward Anadan, in close vicinity to Aleppo, in the context of the de-escalation zone agreement reached in Astana.

A total of 14 separate monitoring points will be established across the province in the context of the Idlib operation, including the bases of Darat Izza, Salwa and Mount Berekeh and Maarzita, which have already been set up.

The monitoring station set up by the TAF in Mount Berekeh will allow Turkish troops to follow the movements of PKK terrorists closely, and drones will provide instant information from the air regarding the latest developments in Afrin.

After launching an operation in Idlib following a de-escalation agreement in Astana, Turkish Armed Forces will establish two air bases in opposition-controlled areas.

Taftanaz and Abu al-Duhur air bases, which are currently under opposition control, are said to be handed over to Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) in the context of the deployment plan.

Under Assad’s control until March 2015, these two air bases are located within areas seized by the opposition in April of that year, and now, together with land bases established by the TAF, will be among the facilities which will provide security in the region.

In the context of the TAF’s deployment mobilization, it should be noted that the Taftanaz air base, being of a smaller size than the Abu al-Duhur, will not allow for large-scale flight operations.

Abu al-Duhur is located in southeastern Idlib, while Taftanaz is situated to the east of the city.