End game looms for Turkey in Idlib
Turkey has found itself with little room to maneuver in Idlib after its last-minute moves failed to avert the fall of Khan Sheikhoun in a Syrian army offensive that seemed to be a response to the new Turkish-US partnership to the east of the Euphrates River.
In the chess game in Idlib, which has seen both collaboration and rivalry between Turkey and Russia, Ankara was placed in check for the first time this week. The Syrian army and its allies captured Khan Sheikhoun, a key town in the rebel-held province, soon after they resumed their offensive on Idlib as Turkey reached a deal with the United States to jointly create a safe zone in Kurdish-held areas east of the Euphrates River.
