In the past, Turkey has also threatened to attack Tal Rifaat.
Nicholas A. Heras, the Senior Director for Strategy and Programs at New Lines Institute told Kurdistan 24 that “Tal Rifaat is a vital staging point for Turkey to be able to both maintain an occupation over Afrin, and to be able to seize Aleppo if the Assad-led government in Damascus begins to collapse.”
“The town is a key logistical and command node for Turkey’s long-term plan to carve out an indefinite presence in northern Syria.”
Read more here: https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/33374-Turkey-aims-to-%E2%80%98secure%E2%80%99-Tal-Rifaat:-Turkish-President-Recep-Tayyip-Erdogan
