Pandemic Fails to Stop Turkey’s Regional Expansion

World

May 1st, 10:00am

Ankara - Saeed Abdulrazek

A member of Turkish police special forces stands guard in Azaz, Syria January 24, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has recently repeated more than once that the change taking place in the world due to the spread of the coronavirus opens new opportunities for Turkey. As the world’s major stakeholders are busy fighting the pandemic, Turkey is focusing on strengthening its regional expansion in the Middle East and Mediterranean region. Turkey intervened in Libya to try to change the balance of power and support the Government of National Accord (GNA) headed by Fayez al-Sarraj in Tripoli. Two weeks ago, reports said Turkey transferred by air large quantities of weapons and military equipment to the GNA in western Libya. Ankara did not deny these moves. The Ministry of Defense issued brief statements, pointing to air and naval exercises in the Mediterranean, in conjunction with military progress made by the GNA in the coastal cities and towns in western Libya. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that the Turkish intelligence moved new fighters from the Syrian armed factions in Tel Abiad to Turkish territory, ahead of their transfer to Libya. In Syria, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced two weeks ago that it had reduced its troop movement as part of the measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus. However, military vehicles and soldiers continued to flock to the de-escalation zone in Idlib province, while dozens of observation points were set up to expand the scope of Turkish deployment in Aleppo, Idlib, Hama and Lattakia. In Iraq, Turkey increased airstrikes in the north and northwest of the country against targets it says belong to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, amid protests from the Iraqi government.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2262371/pandemic-fails-stop-turkey%E2%80%99s-regional-expansion