Turkey faces perilous mission in northern Syria - and possible disaster if it fails
(WorldNews Turkey)

ISTANBUL - As the chief backer of Syria`s embattled opposition, Turkey now faces a perilous task. It must disarm its rebel allies in Syria`s Idlib province, under a new agreement with Russia, and eliminate the hardcore jihadists in their midst. If not, Syrian and allied Russian forces have threatened an all-out assault to retake the territory - a battle that aid agencies say would be the most devastating of the war. The cost to Turkey itself could be immense. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, announced an 11th-hour plan on Sept. 17 to avert the bloodshed, giving Turkey more time to convince its proxies to disarm. Under the pact, Turkish and...