The concentration of Turkish troops at the border with northern Syria continues to grow amid Turkey’s declared preparations for an incursion into the region despite having made an agreement on border security with the Kurdish forces in the region mediated by the US.

URFA

On Tuesday, at noon, the Turkish army sent four buses of soldiers to the Akçakale district of Urfa which faces the northern Syrian city of Gire Spi (Tal Abyad). The soldiers have been housed in a previously reception facility for Syrian refugees, which was closed last autumn. While the troop transport was accompanied by units of the military police (Gendarmerie), journalists were forbidden to take pictures in the area.

On the other hand, Turkish forces are forming new military positions with armored construction equipment alongside those that were dug three months ago in the Tatlıcak neighborhood 3 km to the Akçakale district centre. Seven tanks have been positioned to face Gire Spi. Reports suggest that more deployment will take place in the border area at night.

In the meantime, the armored vehicles and tanks dispatched to Akçakale have been stationed in an agricultural land in the Ekinyazı neighborhood, 5 km to the district centre. The tanks will reportedly move to the border point.

HATAY

Military activities have also been reported from the Hatay province south of Turkey. According to reports, a convoy of 50 Turkish military vehicles have been dispatched to the Kırıkhan district this morning. The equipment dispatched under heavy security measures will reportedly be sent to border units.