I don't catch it. Attacking against assaults certain boarder regions does make sense, in military terms. Retreating does not.
To someone being proud of the Turkmen historic administrative history creating prosperity way beyond the Turkish speaking core regions of Turkish rule... you are using lousy tactics.
The area will remain attracting all alien to prosperity, if becoming ever poorer. With a modern military force it is both possible to pacify a town and to secure it for the civil population. Container prefabricated constructions make it possible to use standard military supply convoys to factually hand over within days a taken city to all those willing and interested in having a productive, peaceful life of daily work. A purpose and future outlook.
CCTV systems, access control, communication, warehousing, fabrication, greenhouses, water and cleaning facilities, pathways and civilian security facilities for when these areas are attacked against their progress can be easily planned, build and set up by pioneer military groups in which outsiders get lost, but locals and builders feel secure and home.
This way ... and no other did Turkmen rule over centuries that region. They had no bloody whips, but numbered sacks, as I expect you to know for well.
