The tensions arising in Idlib would likely upset the fragile cease-fire in northern Syria between Turkey and the Kurdish forces. Was Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan naive to rely on President Vladimir Putin? Whatever the original motivation was, Erdogan and his allies have made Turkey too vulnerable — and isolated — to stand up to Russia over Idlib. Ankara’s first order of business should be regaining a sense of balance in foreign policy — by enlisting Western support on Idlib. It is unrealistic to expect the Syrian regime to pull back from the territory it has already captured.

Source: Washington Post February 07, 2020 23:26 UTC