HTS explores rapprochement with Turkey-backed factions in north Syria
Regular meetings between the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army factions and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leaders in northwestern Syria will open a new page in relations between the two parties and might pave the way for military integration in the future.
![Members of the Free Syrian Army wave the flag of the Syrian opposition as they travel in a truck through the town of Hazano, in Idlib's northern countryside, as reinforcements are deployed from Aleppo's northern countryside to Idlib's countryside to counter an ongoing pro-regime offensive, Syria, Feb. 5, 2020.](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/2022-03/GettyImages-1198751173.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=aah2ydtR)
ALEPPO, Syria — After gaining full control in the Idlib province in northwest Syria, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is now reportedly seeking rapprochement with several Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) factions in Aleppo countryside.
It seems that HTS is seriously trying to coordinate with the factions on security and military issues as a prelude to bigger steps that may reach full integration with the FSA factions. This would constitute the bedrock for a single civil and military administration that would govern the areas outside the control of the Syrian government in northwestern Syria.