CHP questions the current state of Turkish soldiers in Syria

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) on Jan. 6 inquired about the current state of Turkish soldiers assigned to observation posts in Syria, saying no one knows how the soldiers are doing.

The Syrian regime's forces on Dec. 23, 2019, surrounded one of 12 Turkish observation posts in the region. After the regime's capture of Al-Surman town, in the southeast of Idlib, the eighth observation post of Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in the village was surrounded. Another Turkish observation post in the town of Morek was also surrounded in August, leaving two TSK posts within the regime's territory.

Speaking after the first Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting of the CHP, the party spokesperson asked about the current state of soldiers who are performing their duties at the observation posts.

"Now, most of these 12 observation posts, where our 'Mehmetçik' are located at, have been besieged by the Syrian regime's forces. In other terms, [observation posts] are being protected by them. No one knows how the soldiers are doing," Faik Öztrak said at a press conference.

"Mehmetçik" is a widely used Turkish term to affectionately to refer soldiers of the military.

Öztrak also said that there is no information about the living conditions of the soldiers.

"But hundreds and thousands of Syrians press in upon our country's borders from the region where these observation posts are at. Why did we establish there? How can these observation posts prevent the upcoming migration influx?" he added.

Turkey, which has a 911-kilometer (566-mile) border with Syria along its southern frontier, has 12 military observation posts in the region, under a deal with Moscow and Tehran in 2017.

Turkey and Russia agreed in September 2018 to...