Turkey reviewing its Syria presence, foreign minister says

Turkish troop and civilian presence in northern Syria may change following fall of Assad regime

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said his country's presence in Syria 'will have to evolve'. AFP

Turkey is “reviewing and rethinking” its military and civilian presence in northern Syria following the fall of the Assad regime last month and the ascent of new authorities led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday.

“We have to reconsider and rethink the modality of our presence there. This is being done right now. Parallel to the steps taken by the new government, Turkey is also reviewing its relations with Syria – the framework, nature and content of its relations,” Mr Fidan said in response to a question from The National at a press briefing in Istanbul.

“Really, we are in a very new process. It has only been a month. But of course we are reviewing this, and our presence there will have to evolve into a different dimension, hopefully, if everything goes well.”

Turkey carried out three major cross-border military operations in Syria, in 2016, 2018 and 2019, to oust Kurdish militias that Ankara views as a national security threat along its southern border. Turkish troops have also carried out patrols to maintain de-escalation zones brokered between Ankara and Assad allies Iran and Russia in northern Syria in 2017, and a ceasefire between them that came into force three years later.

Throughout those operations, Turkey set up military and civilian infrastructures in north-western Syria for around five million people living in pockets held by rebels against the Assad regime, and armed local Syrian fighters alongside Turkish troops. It facilitated cross-border trade and allowed the use of the Turkish lira – a move that rebels welcomed to avoid bankrolling the Assad government through the Syrian central bank.

Following the fall of Bashar Al Assad’s regime, Turkish officials are holding meetings to review that dynamic, Mr Fidan said during the briefing, which was dominated by questions on Syria as Ankara invests intense diplomacy in its southern neighbour.

“We were providing [residents of rebel-held areas of Syria] with security. We were also contributing to the provision of basic services,” he said. “Now this has become a responsibility for the whole of Syria, not only for us but also for the states of the region. We are working on what kind of steps we can take jointly in this regard. Meetings are being held.”

Turkish and Russian troops patrolling the M4 highway, which runs east-west through Idlib province, Syria, in March 2020. AP

Turkish ministers and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have widely welcomed the fall of the Assad regime. Turkey had made fruitless efforts to normalise relations with the regime before the lightning rebel offensive that took Damascus and prompted Mr Al Assad to flee to Russia last month.

Alongside Qatar, Turkey was among the first countries to re-open its embassy in Damascus after the takeover by groups led by HTS, a former Al Qaeda affiliate. The Turkish government closed its diplomatic representation in Syria 12 years ago, as the Assad regime led a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests.

Turkey and other countries in the region including Jordan are discussing ways to continue to support the new administration, as it faces colossal challenges of rebuilding government structures, drafting a new constitution and ensuring aid deliveries reach those most in need. More than 90 per cent of Syrians live in poverty.

“There are some projects that Qatar is currently keeping on the agenda,” Mr Fidan said. “There is Turkey's support in this regard. Jordan has some ideas on this issue. These are currently being brought together. There will be some regional meetings in the coming days … the main topic will definitely be the harmonisation and acceleration of this aid as soon as possible.”

He said a key issue was increasing Syria’s ability to accept international offers of support. Years of sanctions, corruption and kleptocratic government under the Assad regime have left the state with limited capacity to co-ordinate internationally, and the new authorities will have to create new models of operating.

“I hope that their institutional capacities will be sufficient to advance the aid offers and co-operation areas offered to them. We are making the necessary suggestions in this regard,” Mr Fidan said.

He did not specify if Turkey would withdraw the use of the Turkish lira from areas of north-western Syria. But he said there were “parallel discussions and studies going on” to restore trade and a functioning Syrian Central Bank.

The Foreign Minister smiled at a question about reports of possible greater French support for Kurdish militias in north-eastern Syria that are part of a US-led coalition to fight remnants of Islamic State and guard prisons holding thousands of members of the extremist organisation, including foreign nationals. European nations have largely declined to repatriate their nationals allegedly involved in Islamic State activity for legal proceedings.

Fighters affiliated with the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army faction, stand guard along a road in the north-eastern Manbij. AFP

Turkey sees the US-backed forces, led by the Kurdish People’s Defence Units (YPG) militia, as an extension of the PKK. The group is designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey and some other countries, and has waged a 40-year insurgency against the Turkish state. Eliminating the group is one of Ankara’s top priorities in Syria, Mr Fidan said.

“Some countries in Europe are taking part in operations under a US umbrella … let’s see if they can do an operation without the US,” Mr Fidan said. “If France wants to take a position, they can take back their foreign terrorist fighters, put them in their courts in France and prosecute them.”

Turkish-backed Syrian rebels are carrying out ground operations north-east into Kurdish-held territory, which they began late last year in tandem with the HTS-led push towards the Syrian capital.

Both the new leadership in Damascus and the Turkish-backed Syrian fighters oppose Kurdish militias maintaining territorial control of north-eastern Syria, where they expanded rapidly during and after operations against Islamic State between 2014 and 2017. One major risk is infighting between Damascus-led HTS military formations and Turkish-backed fighters if they cannot agree new military structures acceptable to the panoply of armed groups.

Although they backed opposing sides in Syria’s civil war, Turkey kept lines of communication with Russia open during the conflict. Moscow took a “rational” step in deciding not to attempt to keep Mr Al Assad in power as rebels swept across the country last month, Mr Fidan said.

“Russia took a rational decision and decided that it was not of benefit to support Bashar Al Assad any more,” he said. “They saw this before but after Aleppo fell, this was something that they saw. Russia could have used its military capabilities but it did not – we had some contact – because they use a rational actor model.”

Syrian rebels agreed not to attack Russian forces or their bases as they retreated, and the new authorities will hold talks with Moscow over the fate of Russian bases on Syria’s Mediterranean coast.

“The new administration in Syria will have some negotiations with the Russian side, and I believe it will evolve accordingly,” Mr Fidan added.