Report suggests Turkey aware of militants’ plan to oust Assad 6 months prior
A recent report has disclosed that the Turkish government was aware of militants' plans to initiate a significant offensive targeting Bashar al-Assad's regime. This offensive ultimately led to the displacement of Assad from power.
According to a report by Reuters on Monday, militants disclosed their plans to initiate an attack to Turkey approximately six months in advance. The information was attributed to a “diplomat in the region” and a purported member of groups opposing Damascus.
A Syrian source informed the agency that militants had presented Turkey with specific details of their planned operation, urging Ankara to refrain from intervening in the attack.
Sources indicated that following discussions regarding the plan, the militants believed they had received implicit approval from Ankara.
One source stated that it would have been impossible for the militants to proceed without first informing Turkey.
The statements were made just a day after militants launched an assault on the Syrian capital, capitalizing on significant advances in the country’s northern region. This offensive took place approximately two weeks after the group demonstrated a resurgence in activity.
Recent reports suggest that Ankara, along with certain Western nations, continues to provide substantial support to armed groups opposing the Syrian government. These countries have been principal allies of anti-Damascus factions since the emergence of foreign-backed insurgency in Syria that began in 2011.
On Sunday, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan disclosed that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had attempted to establish communication with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the months preceding a militant offensive. Fidan suggested that Ankara had intelligence indicating an impending threat.
According to sources cited by Reuters, militants have perceived a hardening of Ankara’s position towards Assad earlier this year.
Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz stated that Ankara had neither instigated nor approved the recent offensive, distancing the government from any involvement in the actions.
A Turkish official informed the agency that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the primary armed faction involved in the military campaign against Syria, operates independently, stating that the group “neither receives orders nor coordinates its activities with us.”
