Syria’s Ahmad al-Shara’a (formerly Abu Mohammad al-Julani) is set to make his first visit abroad as president, to Turkey.
Al-Shara’a, head of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) terrorist organization that has now become Syria’s new leader, will visit Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, according to Turkish media.
According to the Yeni Şafak news outlet, al-Shara’a was to visit Turkey several days ago, al-Shara’a was originally set to visit Ankara earlier this week. The visit was postponed, the Turkish news outlet reported, without saying why.
The Turkish government has made no official announcement, and neither has Damascus.
The head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT), İbrahim Kalın, was one of the first foreign officials to visit Damascus following the coup that ousted former President Bashar al-Assad. Kalin was followed by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Turkey was a strong supporter of the forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham as they fought to overthrow the Assad regime.
When and if al-Shara’a goes to Ankara, it is likely the agenda for talks will focus on the fighting in northern Syria.
Six Syrian fighters from the current regime were reportedly killed by Turkish-backed forces this week. Battles are continuing between autonomous Syrian Kurdish forces backed by the United States, and opposing forces backed by Turkey.
Fidan told a live broadcast on CNN Turk this week that Turkey will launch a “counterterrorism” operation against the Kurdish-led YPG militia if the group does not disband.
“This is a bloodless, problem-free transition,” Fidan said. “The ultimatum we gave them (YPG) through the Americans is obvious.”
The YPG is part of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) coalition that controls an autonomous region in northern Syria.
Turkey contends the group is an offshoot of the PKK terrorist organization; Ankara has mounted numerous attacks against the YPG in Syria since 2016.
Erdogan declared following the first meeting of his cabinet this month that he is determined to wipe out Syria’s Kurdish forces.
“A new era has begun in Syria … Turkey has shown what kind of will it has to protect its survival and security,” Erdogan said.
“If it comes to that again, ‘we may come suddenly one night’. The circle is narrowing for the separatist organization and its extensions in Syria.
“As the government and the alliance, we will achieve our goal of a terror-free Turkey, one way or another. Of course, we hope this will happen safely. If this road is blocked and dynamited, then we will not hesitate to strike with the iron fist of the state wrapped in velvet gloves.”
Al-Shara’a has said he wants to integrate the SDF into the new national Syrian army. SDF spokesperson Farhad Shami said the group was not opposed in principle to such an option, but that negotiations are necessary first.
Those talks subsequently began late last month.
“We agree that we are for the unity and integrity of Syrian territory and reject any division projects that threaten the country’s unity,” SDF commander Mazloum Abdi said in a written statement to the AFP news agency.
“We support the efforts of the new administration for there to be stability in Syria to pave the way towards building constructive dialogue between Syrians,” he said. “It is the responsibility of the new administration to intervene in order for there to be a ceasefire throughout Syria.”
