[dabigv13]

Curious what various cardboarders think about Turkey/Turkiye possibly being the puppet-master here?   And are they taking advantage of Russia's focus on Ukraine and Hezbollah's setbacks?

That WSJ article I posted certainly posited a large role.

“Russia is weakened, Iran is weakened, Hezbollah is beaten—and all this has created an enormous opportunity for Turkey, which it was quick to grab,” said Asli Aydintaşbaş, a Turkey specialist at the Brookings Institution.

At the very least, the latest developments will stem the flow of Syrian refugees into Turkey, a significant political problem there. Depending on how fighting develops in the coming weeks and months, the fall of Aleppo could also give Ankara a dominant role in Syria’s future—not necessarily a prospect that Israel would relish.
.....
While the HTS rebels—and their Turkish patrons—benefited from the Israeli strikes on Hezbollah and sites in Iran and Syria, the timing of the Aleppo offensive was likely tied to the cease-fire just reached in Lebanon.

“The militants have been ready for a while. And my guess is it’s the Turks who have been holding them back,” said Robert Ford, a former U.S. ambassador to Syria and a fellow at the Middle East Institute. “But now, once the Lebanon cease-fire is done, the attack on Aleppo doesn’t look anymore like Turkey fighting an enemy of Israel.”

[dabigv13]

Curious what various cardboarders think about Turkey/Turkiye possibly being the puppet-master here?   And are they taking advantage of Russia's focus on Ukraine and Hezbollah's setbacks?

That WSJ article I posted certainly posited a large role.

“Russia is weakened, Iran is weakened, Hezbollah is beaten—and all this has created an enormous opportunity for Turkey, which it was quick to grab,” said Asli Aydintaşbaş, a Turkey specialist at the Brookings Institution.

At the very least, the latest developments will stem the flow of Syrian refugees into Turkey, a significant political problem there. Depending on how fighting develops in the coming weeks and months, the fall of Aleppo could also give Ankara a dominant role in Syria’s future—not necessarily a prospect that Israel would relish.
.....
While the HTS rebels—and their Turkish patrons—benefited from the Israeli strikes on Hezbollah and sites in Iran and Syria, the timing of the Aleppo offensive was likely tied to the cease-fire just reached in Lebanon.

“The militants have been ready for a while. And my guess is it’s the Turks who have been holding them back,” said Robert Ford, a former U.S. ambassador to Syria and a fellow at the Middle East Institute. “But now, once the Lebanon cease-fire is done, the attack on Aleppo doesn’t look anymore like Turkey fighting an enemy of Israel.”