The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) released a report on Thursday 27 March detailing the construction of new military bases in Syrian territory by the Turkish military. The report shows that Turkey has continued to mobilise near the Qara Quzak (Qere Qozaq) Hill, the western bank of the Euphrates River, and the village of Hassan Agha, southeast of Manbij.
Despite efforts to establish a ceasefire across the whole of the Syrian territory, which have been supported internationally, the report shows a continued militarisation of the region by Turkey. This intensification has not only come in the form of the construction of new military bases, but also in material support for groups of mercenaries already present in Syria.
Turkey already operates more than 200 military bases in Syria, in which tens of thousands of Turkish soldiers are stationed. Huge amounts of weaponry and surveillance technology are housed in and around these bases. Nevertheless, the drone footage of the SDF shows construction of new military bases, and footage captured by mobile phones show that these military bases are being fortified, often at nighttime, by armoured personnel carriers (APC), trucks, and tanks driving on public roads. However, none of these vehicles appear to show the Turkish flag, neither when crossing into Syrian territory, nor when stationed at these new military bases.
The SDF claims that the primary objective of the construction of these military bases is to strengthen Turkey’s occupation of northern Syria for the long-term and deepen it geographically. This facilitates attacks against SDF-controlled territory in the north and east of the country. The SDF concluded its video report by inquiring into the reasons for which Turkey is trying to conceal its military activities in the Syrian territory it occupies at a time when it is expected to facilitate the peace process in the region.
