Turkey’s options limited as world awaits Idlib operation

Source:al Monitor Date:05Sep2018

Turkey can ill afford to take in further refugees, who would most likely include jihadis. Yet its options are limited. In its report “Saving Idlib from Destruction,” the ICG observed, “Turkey, too, would like to see the end of jihadist dominance in Idlib. If Turkey tries to attack Idlib’s jihadists head on, however, it risks chaos on its border and jihadist reprisals in Turkish cities.” The alternative, a regime offensive that now seems inevitable, would be just as horrific and costly and portend regime moves against Turkish-held territory in Afrin and the Euphrates Shield zone. This is why Turkey is demanding time for its thus far unsuccessful effort to rally rebel “moderates” against the non-Syrian hard core within HTS and its allies to succeed.