Can Turkey’s campaign in Syria’s Idlib bring peace?
Turkish troops have crossed the border into Idlib province, in a move Ankara says it is to enforce a de-escalation zone.
About 100 Turkish soldiers have moved into Syria’s Idlib province in a convoy of armoured vehicles.
Ankara says it is to enforce a de-escalation zone in the war-torn country as part of a deal with Iran and Russia.
But there are suspicions Turkey‘s real motive is to stop the Kurds extending their territory in the region.
And there is also the matter of a group with former ties to al-Qaeda – Hay’et Tahrir al-Sham – which controls much of Idlib and is vowing to fight to the death.
What does Turkey’s involvement mean for the war in Syria and can it help bring unity?
Presenter: Sami Zeidan
Guests:
Marwan Kabalan – director of policy analysis at the Doha Institute
Metin Gurcan – columnist at Al Monitor’s Turkey Pulse
Douglas Ollivant – senior national security fellow at the New America think-tank