Ankara-January 14, 2023

Adding to the uncertainty of the situation in Syria ،

In conjunction with efforts to bring about a diplomatic rapprochement with Damascus, Ibrahim Kalin, an adviser close to the Turkish Presidency, confirmed today that launching a ground military operation in Syria is "possible at any time".

"We continue to support the political process," which began at the end of December with a meeting of the Turkish and Syrian defense ministers in Moscow, "but launching a ground operation remains possible at any time, based on the level of threats received,"Galen told journalists from several foreign media.

Qalen's statement came as Ankara continues its shelling in northern Syria targeting Syrian army positions

Sources revealed that Turkish shelling targeted areas in the countryside of Ain Al-Arab, north of Aleppo Governorate, resulting in deaths, among the ranks of the Syrian army, including three officers.

Turkey also launched an intensive artillery bombardment that lasted for hours on positions in the northern countryside of Aleppo with almost eighty shells.

As a result, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced the neutralization of elements of the Kurdistan Workers ' Party (PKK) and the Kurdish-majority Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in two areas of operations of the Turkish army in northern Syria.

These developments will further strengthen Damascus ' adherence to the conditions it set before launching any direct negotiations between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Damascus is demanding that Ankara stop supporting armed Syrian opposition groups and end what it called the occupation so that negotiations can be fruitful.

Ankara justifies its attacks by saying that it must protect its border with Syria and create a 30-kilometer-deep safe zone to counter the threats of Kurdish militants.

Efforts to bring Syria and Turkey closer together began last December under Russian auspices, after more than a decade of estrangement.

In the context of these efforts, a trilateral meeting was held between the defense ministers of the two countries and their Russian counterparts in Moscow, during which urgent security issues between the two countries were discussed.