Turkey has gained ample experience in organizing, training, equipping and using armed militants in Syria since it forayed into the theater of war in 2016. Various groups at odds with each have come under Turkish control under the banner of the Syrian National Army (SNA). Yet Turkey’s efforts to end rifts between armed groups in Idlib, the last rebel stronghold in Syria, and merge them into an organized army are failing.
Turkey has assumed commitments to eliminate terrorist groups under the Astana, Sochi and Moscow accords with Russia. Its efforts thus far have been aimed at reshaping armed factions in a bid to repel Russian pressure and stave off regime offensives in the region. Most importantly, it has sought to transform Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a UN-designated terrorist organization and the dominant outfit in Idlib. The options of rebranding or dissolving the group have been floated in the past, but lately, Turkish intelligence has been pushing for a joint military council between HTS, the SNA and the National Liberation Front (NLF).
