Such a merger would keep Syria divided in the face of pressure from Turkiye’s effort to normalize relations with the Syrian state
The United States welcomes the unification of the regions of northeastern and northwestern Syria, which are illegally occupied by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), respectively, Syria TV reported on 12 June.
The pro-opposition Syrian channel reported that a delegation from HTS, formerly known as the Al-Qaeda affiliated Nusra Front, visited areas of northeast Syria for talks with the US-backed and majority Kurdish SDF in recent weeks.
According to sources speaking with Syria TV, the talks touched on the possibility of forming a joint civil administration between the two parties should HTS succeed in wresting control of areas now dominated by the Syrian National Army (SNA), a Turkish-backed mercenary group that also illegally occupies areas of northern Syria.
The Syria TV report claims that the SDF indicated that the US welcomes the unification of the regions of northeastern and northwestern Syria. According to the report, the SDF wants to employ HTS against Turkiye militarily to reduce pressure on areas the SDF controls.
HTS previously enjoyed strong support from Turkiye and the US, most notably when a coalition led by HTS conquered the Idlib governate in 2015 with US and Turkish-supplied weapons, including TOW anti-tank missiles.
But US support for the HTS dwindled in 2017 as President Trump ended the CIA’s Timber Sycamore program, which sought to topple the Syrian government starting in 2011.
HTS has recently also lost Turkish support, as Ankara seeks to improve relations with Damascus as part of a Russian-backed reconciliation effort.
Turkiye views the SDF as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Ankara considers a terrorist organization. The PKK has fought a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state for expanded rights for Turkiye’s Kurdish minority population.
Turkiye has invaded northern Syria three times in recent years to counter the influence of the SDF. Ankara claims it wishes to establish a buffer zone to protect its territory from terrorist attacks by the PKK.
The sources also indicated to Syria TV that HTS is trying to improve its relations with the SDF in order to persuade the SDF’s international supporters to remove the extremist group’s terrorism designation stemming from its ties to Al-Qaeda. HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani was a former deputy of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
According to Syria TV, HTS has been working for some time to expand its freedom of movement in the face of pressure from Turkiye, which now seeks to expel HTS from the northern Aleppo governate completely.
HTS also proposed officially engaging in counter-terrorism efforts alongside the SDF and with the support of the US military, and eliminating other extremist armed groups that are currently active in Idlib.
