Honeymoon Over: Protestors Attack Turkish Post In Northern Syria

File image.

Dozens of angry protesters attacked a post of the Turkish military near the town of Takad in the northern Syrian governorate of Aleppo on September 19, amid growing tensions over the issue of Ankara’s large-scale presence in the country.

Since its first intervention in Syria in 2016, the Turkish military has established dozens of posts and bases across northern Syria, spreading all the way from Idlib, to Aleppo, Raqqa and al-Hasakah. Many of these posts and bases were built on properties leased from locals. Later it emerged that not everyone was getting paid, and that there was no way to terminate these contracts.

The protestors in Takad were mostly the owners of the buildings and farms occupied by the Turkish military post near the town.

Not only that these people have not been paid, but their demand to hand back their properties were completely ignored by Ankara.

The protestors stoned the post, and even set its entrance on fire, with Turkish troops deployed there responding by firing tear gas.

Earlier this month, a quieter protest was organized by a few dozens near a Turkish military post in the town of Farkia in Idlib. The protestors were again owners of the farms and buildings on which the post was established, and like those in Takad they were not getting paid.

Such tensions existed even before the fall of the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad last December, but at least military necessities made many remain silent. Now, the situation is completely different with Ankara’s own allies ruling Damascus. Still, the Turkish military refuses to withdraw even from posts located in Idlib, far away from the fronts with Kurdish forces to the east.

In January, the Turkish Ministry of Defense said that its military presence in Syria will continue and may even relocate within that country based on “needs”.

Since then, Ankara has only attempted to expand its military presence in the country to its western and central regions, without removing any of its posts from the north. These attempts, which were aimed at establishing air, ground and naval bases, were, however, thwarted by Israel, which said that it won’t tolerate any Turkish precinct outside of the country’s north.

Many Syrians expected Turkey to withdraw from most of northern Syria following the fall of the Assad regime, including those who simply want their properties back. However, Ankara is still claiming that its presence is necessary to counter both Kurdish forces, namely the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, and terrorist groups like ISIS.

Turkish-backed factions even maintained a higher-level of autonomy, despite announcing that they would merge into the new military.

While Ankara and Damascus are now close allies, Turkish military actions in the country suggest a complete lack of trust in the other side.

It is not that Turkey does not trust the new Islamist-led Interim Government led by its long-time ally Ahmad al-Sharaa, but rather does not believe that this government will be able to effectively role the country and keep it united for the long-term.

Ankara clearly sees its military presence in Syria as a guarantee for keeping influence there, regardless of any changes that could shake the country.

Syrians are, however, clearly getting frustrated with this large-scale military presence, which they no longer believe to be justified. Some supporters of the current government maybe even thinking that the future of the country lies with prioritizing relations with the West and the Gulf.

Adding fuel to the fire is regular reports of violations by Turkish troops deployed in the country, from harassment to traffic accidents and even deadly shootings targeting those attempting to cross the border illegally.

Even such small issues could eventually develop into a crisis when relations between two countries, including allies, are not balanced. Syria itself experienced this in Lebanon, where many who initially backed its intervention after the break out of the civil war in the 1970s, ended up turning against it by the early 2000s.

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