Despite U.S. threat of sanctions, Turkey is scheduled to get the first batch of the state-of-the-art S-400 air defense system from Russia by mid-July.

Moscow sees it could create problems within NATO as Turkey would be perceived as an unreliable partner within the bloc if it buys the S-400s, remarked Er.

Solmazturk, however, does not think the attack on the Turkish observation post should have any particular message nor the post was deliberately targeted.

"Members of various rebel groups are moving around the area where the observation post in question is, so any shelling targeting these rebels may have mistakenly hit the Turkish post," he said.

"The HTS wants to draw Turkey into armed conflict with Syria," he added.

Turkey established 12 military observation posts around Idlib under a deal concluded in 2017 with Russia and Iran, its partners in the Astana process that seeks a political settlement of the Syrian conflict.

Signs emerged lately that pressure over Ankara may increase for it to agree to Idlib's takeover by the Russian-backed Syrian army.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem recently voiced hope that the Syrian and Turkish armies would not be involved in a fight.

Describing Turkey as "an occupying force" in Syria, he also said that Ankara was backing the terrorist groups Damascus and Moscow have been fighting against.

Other than in Idlib, Turkey has a sizable swath of land in northwestern Syria under its control, territory it captured from the Islamic State and the U.S-backed Kurdish militia in recent years.

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