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Ankara’s planned operation in northeast Syria remains murky

Whether Ankara will stage an operation east of Euphrates depends on diplomatic efforts with Washington and Moscow.
Turkish military vehicles ride at the Bab el-Salam border crossing between the Syrian town of Azaz and the Turkish town of Kilis, in Syria January 1, 2019. Picture taken January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi - RC1AD1B9E6A0

It was 50 days ago when Turkish President Erdogan warned of an imminent military operation east of the Euphrates in a matter of days.

Turkish forces continue to mass in the region but there is no a sense of an imminent operation. As I emphasized in my Jan. 2 article, there is no perceptible reconnaissance, surveillance and target-acquisition activities by the Turkish air force over a potential area of operations. For Ankara, close air support for ground forces is essential. Such preparations are usually the most significant signals of an imminent operation. So far there is none of that.

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