How Turkey's long-time ruler lost control over Syrian power game
From best friends to enemies - the story of Turkish-Syrian relations took an unexpected turn. After decades of complex politics Turkish leader finds himself in a tricky spot with new Syrian forces
In early-2000s‚ Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian leader Assad were close allies; their friendship was so strong they even planned family trips together. However this bond didnt last long: after the start of Syrian uprising in 2011 everything changed
Turkey tried different ways to handle the situation: creating its own rebel group (Syrian National Army) and giving quiet support to another force - Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. These groups had different tasks: SNA fought Kurdish forces while HTS pushed against Russian-backed regime
- SNA became known for human-rights issues
- HTS kept ties with dangerous groups
- Both forces stayed under Turkish influence until recently
The situation changed in late-24 when Erdogan approved what he thought would be a small-scale action in Aleppo. This move (which included both rebel groups) unexpectedly led to Assads fall from power
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Now Erdogan – who runs Turkey for more than two decades – faces a hard choice; his partners dont need him as much as before. Despite his claims of understanding Arab world better than others‚ Turkish influence might be slipping away. The Syrian people showed they want to decide their future without outside help: this puts Turkeyʼs regional leader in an awkward spot
The whole story shows how Turkish policy went from trying to reform Syria through friendly talks to using force; but now with Assad gone its clear that Syrian groups wont follow anyones orders
