Turkey Enhances Positions in Northwest Syria after Talks with Russia

Soldiers of the Russian military police and the Turkish military during a joint patrol of the M4 highway in Idlib (Russian Defense Ministry)
Soldiers of the Russian military police and the Turkish military during a joint patrol of the M4 highway in Idlib (Russian Defense Ministry)
TT

Turkey Enhances Positions in Northwest Syria after Talks with Russia

Soldiers of the Russian military police and the Turkish military during a joint patrol of the M4 highway in Idlib (Russian Defense Ministry)
Soldiers of the Russian military police and the Turkish military during a joint patrol of the M4 highway in Idlib (Russian Defense Ministry)

Despite a recent agreement with Moscow on withdrawing its heavy weapons from the region, Ankara on Friday sent a new military column to its observation points in the south of Syria’s Idlib province, where Russian warplanes and Syrian forces have recently reduced their military activities.

The new Turkish military column, including armored vehicles and logistical supplies, crossed into Syrian territories via Kafr Lusin crossing on the border with Iskenderun region in northern Idlib.
The vehicles then headed to the Turkish positions in the de-escalation zone.

Over 15,000 Turkish soldiers have deployed in the area since the first Astana agreement between Ankara and Moscow was signed in 2017.

One Tuesday, Turkish and Russian officials met in Ankara for a new round of talks on developments in Syria to discuss a proposal for decreasing the Turkish observation points in Idlib.

However, “the meetings between the Russian and Turkish delegations have not resulted in any specific results or reached mutual understanding on Idlib,” a Turkish source familiar with the situation told Sputnik.

Ankara asked that the cities of Tall Rifat and Manbij be transferred under its control, but this initiative was rejected by Moscow.

During the meeting, Turkey also refused to leave checkpoints on the territories controlled by the Syrian army as well as to reduce the number of its troops in the region and withdraw heavy weapons.

Meanwhile, the administration of the Bab al-Hawa crossing described on Friday the statements of United Nations Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock as “irresponsible.”

During a session of the UN Security Council regarding the situation in Syria, Lowcock discussed the entry of UN aid convoys into Syria through the crossing.

“There are great challenges on the Syrian side, including the delayed entry of UN convoys to Syria and their complicated return to Syria,” he said.



Trump Says Must End Conflict in Lebanon

 Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump reacts after complaining about its sound during a campaign in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US November 1, 2024. (Reuters)
Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump reacts after complaining about its sound during a campaign in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US November 1, 2024. (Reuters)
TT

Trump Says Must End Conflict in Lebanon

 Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump reacts after complaining about its sound during a campaign in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US November 1, 2024. (Reuters)
Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump reacts after complaining about its sound during a campaign in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US November 1, 2024. (Reuters)

Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump on Friday, speaking to an audience including Arab Americans in the battleground state of Michigan, said it was time to get the Israel-Lebanon conflict over with.

"I know many people from Lebanon and we have to get this whole thing over with," he said.

Trump on Friday met with Arab Americans in Dearborn, Michigan — the nation’s largest Arab-majority city — as the Republican presidential nominee works to court the potentially decisive group despite his history of Islamophobic rhetoric and policy.

Trump was greeted with cheers and applause from a modest crowd at The Great Commoner restaurant in one of his campaign’s final attempts to garner support in the key battleground state.

Metro Detroit is home to the nation’s largest concentration of Arab Americans, with a large chunk of them living in Dearborn. The city — which Democrat Joe Biden won by a 3-to-1 margin in 2020 — has been roiled by political turmoil, with many upset with the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

Democrats worry that anger over the war will lead traditionally loyal voters to shift their votes to Trump or third-party candidates like Jill Stein — or skip the top of the ballot altogether. This could prove pivotal in Michigan, a state both parties see as a toss-up.

While the Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, has been working through surrogates to ease community tensions, Trump’s visit marked the first by either candidate, according to a local leader, Osama Siblani. Earlier this year, Harris met with the city’s Democratic mayor, Abdullah Hammoud, though their discussion took place outside Dearborn.

The meeting with Arab supporters Friday follows Trump’s rally in Michigan last week, when he brought local Muslims up onstage with him. Trump has also received endorsements from two Democratic mayors of Muslim-majority cities.

"It is time to prioritize our nation’s best interests and foster lasting peace for all," Albert Abbas, an Arab American, said Friday while standing next to Trump. "This current administration has failed miserably in all aspects of humanity."

He added, "We look to a Trump presidency with hope and envisioning a time where peace flourishes, particularly in Lebanon and Palestine."

While many Democratic leaders in the Arab community have not endorsed Harris, they are still deeply negative toward Trump and say his endorsements don’t reflect a majority of the community. They remember his call for a "total and complete shutdown" on Muslims entering the country and his travel restrictions on visitors from Muslim-majority countries. And some point out that Trump has suggested he would give Israel even more leeway to attack its rivals in the region.

Top community leaders in Dearborn, including Hammoud, declined an invitation to meet with Trump while he was in town. Many community leaders say that while Harris has never earned their endorsement, they are still overwhelmingly opposed to Trump.

Siblani, a prominent figure in the community who has engaged with Democratic leaders about ongoing tensions, noted that many "do not trust" Trump because of his past policies and remarks. However, he emphasized the significance of Trump’s visit to Dearborn.

"Kamala should have done this months ago," Siblani said.

Harris defended her record on the issue Friday, telling reporters that she’s "proud to have significant amount of support from the Arab American community," while adding that she continues to push for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages.

Israel invaded Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack and last month launched an invasion of Lebanon to suppress Hezbollah, the party that has continuously launched rockets into Israeli territory. At least 43,000 people have died in Gaza, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not distinguish in its death toll between combatants and civilians.

Abbas said Trump allies had reached out to him several weeks ago about hosting Trump in Dearborn. Before hosting Trump, Abbas said he wanted to see a statement from Trump that he said showed Trump "has the intentions of ending the war and helping us rebuild Lebanon and helping the displaced and the injured."

That statement came Wednesday, when Trump posted on X that he wanted to "stop the suffering and destruction in Lebanon."

"I will preserve the equal partnership among all Lebanese communities," Trump said on X. "Your friends and family in Lebanon deserve to live in peace, prosperity, and harmony with their neighbors, and that can only happen with peace and stability in the Middle East."

Once Trump put out the statement, Abbas said he agreed to host the event.