IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Prospects of a potential rapprochement between the Syrian government and Turkey mediated by Russia garnered the whole attention in Idlib in 2022. Days before the closure of 2022, a tripartite meeting was held in Moscow holding the three parties.
Militarily, no changes were introduced in the de-escalation zone in northwestern Syria while the hard living conditions and the economic circumstances are deteriorating rapidly as in other Syrian territories.
On Dec. 28, 2022, the ministers of defense of the Syrian government, Turkey, and Russia met in Moscow for the first time since the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011.
Most notable political event
Bids and efforts exerted by Russia have crowned the Moscow meeting, Turkey’s Minister of Defense Hulusi Akar told reporters before leaving Moscow he agreed with his Syrian counterpart to continue tripartite meetings.
Such a development could change the whole situation in Syria in the mid-term as the political process regarding the situation in Syria remains a stalled one and nothing has been introduced since Geir Pederson, the UN Special Envoy for Syria said that holding the ninth round of the Constitutional Committee talks was not possible. The ninth round was canceled as the Syrian government delegation rejected to attend the meeting unless Moscow’s demand to hold the talks in any European city but not in Geneva was met.
In July 2022, Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu said his country would provide all kinds of political support to the Syrian government to expel terrorists from the region.
“We will provide all kinds of political support for the regime’s work in this regard,” Cavusoglu said.
On Aug. 11, 2022, Cavusoglu revealed he had held a short talk with his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad, a while ago on the margin of the Non-Allied Movement held in October 2021 in the Serbian capital, Belgrade.
Cavusoglu’s remarks on his meeting with Mekdad and the prospects of a possible rapprochement with the Syrian government drew mass and wide-scale protests in areas under the control of the Turkish forces and factions of the armed opposition in Idlib and Aleppo governorates where tens of people took to the street in the cities and towns condemning such remarks and acts.
Reports signified that Turkey would not give up the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) and its associations on Turkish soil although it sought to reconcile with the Syrian government.
Also, regarding the political situation in the Turkish-controlled areas in north and northwest Syria, was the appearance of Abu Muhammad al-Julani, leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS – formerly al-Nusra Front) in the civic apparel in different places in Idlib and on separate occasions.
Military developments
In October 2022, the developing situation between the HTS and other factions of the opposition garnered the attention of media outlets for about ten days. However, the Turkish intervention ended the whole situation.
Clashes between the two parties followed the intervention by the HTS in the favor of al-Hamzat Division whose members were accused of killing a media activist and his pregnant wife in the city of al-Bab in the eastern countryside of Aleppo Governorate on October 7.
However, reports said although the HTS announced it withdrew from Afrin, it kept its security personnel in the city under the cover of Hayat Thaeroon and the Military Police in the city.
On October 13, 2022, the HTS took full control of the Kurdish city of Afrin, northwestern Syria, following the withdrawal of the Third Legion from the city toward the city of Azaz.
On October 17, the clashes between the HTS and the SNA factions came to a halt after Turkish intelligence intervened and ordered the HTS to hand over the security and military posts in the villages of Kafr Janneh and Qatmah to Hayat Thaeroon for Liberation, affiliated with the SNA, which remained neutral during the recent clashes, an exclusive source told North Press.
On October 25, Military columns of the HTS withdrew from areas in Afrin and its countryside towards Idlib, while maintaining its security forces there.
Talks between leaders of the SNA and the Turkish forces led to the formation of an army to form a military unit under the Ministry of Defense of the Syrian Interim Government. a Syrian opposition government based in Turkey and associated with the Syrian National Coalition.
Other sources from the opposition ruled out the idea of any military formations in northwest Syria.
Escalation in the de-escalation zone restricted to shelling between the Syrian government forces and the opposition factions accompanied from time to time by Russian air raids on the opposition posts.
In November 2022, the shelling by the government forces and Russian bombardment resulted in seven deaths including two children and a woman, in addition to the injury of 75 others mostly women and children.
Economic situation
The economic situation in the opposition-held areas is not different from other Syrian territories in the economic term. The diving of the Syrian pound compared to the US dollar prevails in everyday activities.
Both the HTS and the SNA control the economic arteries in northwest Syria via the affiliated local councils which are accused of bullying in the favor of the SNA.
Electricity is a common issue in the whole of Syrian territories although they are being ruled by different military formations and actors. Recently, there have been popular protests against the rising prices of electricity. Corruption of the local council is also a case in point.
The fuel crisis in Idlib has been emerging at its head after the Interim Government announced the names of six companies to import oil resources.
At the end of October 2022, Watad ended its mandate in Idlib which was followed by the six companies that have been authorized to operate instead.
Well-informed sources told North Press said the six companies are affiliated with the HTS adding that Watad has just re-named itself.
The torn education sector has been on repeated strikes by teachers as a reaction to the low fees they receive and the general situation in the region.
In January 2022, Idlib witnessed a number of strikes and protests in which teachers and all employees in the arena took part as well as a large number of students calling for the improvement of the general situation including salaries.
100 schools in Idlib went on strike until demands are met. However, they seem to fall on deaf ears.