When Turkey announced its plan to send troops across the border, the Syrian government could have seen it as a hostile breach of its sovereignty.
Instead, President Bashar al-Assad’s regime – which has survived much bigger threats to its rule during the eight-year civil war – saw an opportunity.
According to a source close to the government, the mood in Damascus was jovial after Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the start of his offensive.
“It felt like a checkmate moment,” the contact told the Telegraph. The chain reaction that Turkey’s move set in motion would unintentionally give the regime a huge boost.
The region in Mr Erdogan’s sights was the Kurdish-held north-east, which…
To continue reading this article
Start a 30-day free trial for unlimited access to Premium articles
- Unlimited access to Premium articles
- Subscriber-only events and experiences
- Cancel any time
Free for 30 days
then only £2 per week
Try Premium
Save 25% with an annual subscription
Just £75 per year
Save now
Register for free and access one Premium article per week
Register
Only subscribers have unlimited access to Premium articles.Register for free to continue reading this article
RegisterOr unlock all Premium articles.
Free for 30 days, then just £1 per week
Start trial
Save 40% when you pay annually.
View all subscription options |
Already have an account? Login