URFA - While it was stated that HTS' advance towards Afrin was a preliminary preparation for Idlib's ceding to the regime, journalist Cemil Ebdo said that by citing HTS, Turkey is trying to thwart the plans for the places it invaded.
It was claimed that Heyet Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is on the list of terrorist organisations in the USA, Canada, and the United Nations (UN), including Turkey, and its affiliates took control of Afrin city center on October 13. Local sources confirmed these claims.
BACKGROUND
HTS' desire to advance to Afrin has been reflected in the press since the beginning of the summer. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Communication Center made a statement on this issue on May 25 and warned against these developments. In the statement, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Communication Center said: "Many reports were received from joint sources confirming that terrorist organisation (Religious Defenders-Huras Al Din) gangs have gathered in Kibaşin and Basut villages in the south of Afrin. Many points on the southern fronts were evacuated. At the same time, the intelligence (Feyleq Al-Sham) gangs of the Turkish invasion were removed from those villages.” The aims of these movements are the redeployment of terrorist groups, in particular Huras al-Din, Heyet Tahrir al-Sham, is part of the Turkish invasion's plan to create a belt of terrorist members. They are placing the gangs on this line in order to use them in a possible attack on the war fronts from the south of Afrin to the Manbij fronts and west of Kobanê.”
TAF AND HTS RELATIONS
In Afrin, which was invaded under the name of “Operation Olive Branch” on January 20, 2018 by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and paramilitary groups affiliated with it, the Syrian National Army (SMO), HTS and Turkey's partner, including Ehrar El Damascus have been in conflict since the summer with coalition groups within the SMO, including Damascus. HTS, which was formed after the name change of Al-Qaeda's Syrian branch Al Nusra Front and claimed to have 30 thousand members, is mostly located in Idlib. After Tahrir al-Sham passed through Xezewî gate, Cinderes district and many surrounding villages, it carried Ahrar al-Sham's flags entered the city borders of Afrin with military convoys on June 18. After the clash between the fighters of the Third Brigade and Ahrar al-Sham near the city of Bab, east of Aleppo, the city of Afrin was invaded. The ongoing activity in Afrin and Turkey's silence against the progress of HTS drew attention.
POSSIBLE SCENARIOS
There are many scenarios about bringing Tehrir Al-Sham groups to Afrin. One is the discipline of certain paramilitary groups that delay the execution of Turkey's orders through "Tehrir al-Sham", which has proven to be the closest group to Turkish intelligence. Another is that the developments in Afrin are preparations for the planned talks between Damascus and Turkey, which are expected to result in Idlib being handed over to Damascus and the Russian government.
Cemil Ebdo, a reporter for the Fırat News Agency (ANF), working in the region, spoke about the developments.
HTS' PROGRESS WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE'
Noting that there have been clashes for about 10 days, Ebdo said: "HTS entered the city from the east of Afrin. As HTS advanced into Afrin, it easily came to the center. They turned their direction to Cinderes district and took it under their control. In some villages of Gurzele and Afrin, their advance was retaliated, but this was not enough. HTS turned its advance to the previously occupied villages of Afrin and then to Kefer Cenni. Now they are located in this village and they are waging war here. We know that they are negotiating here and trying to reach an agreement. These conflicts and the progress of HTS since the past contain clues about what is happening in Western Kurdistan."
HTS RETURNED TO TURKEY DUE TO ENDING OF THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Ebdo said:"HTS has been financed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since the day it was first established in Aleppo and has been on the US financial list. After Trump came to power, these groups were removed from the US financial list. After that, HTS started to get closer to Turkey. They had a relationship in the past and they tried to strengthen it with this excuse. However, in the last period, a closeness started to form between the Damascus Government and Turkey. These communication efforts have created unrest within the UAE. For this reason, he put these groups forward again and made a move to destroy the relations with the Damascus Government.”
'PEOPLES WILL FACE TO MASSACRE'
Expressing that Turkey understands that there are plans for the invaded lands and tries to nullify these plans by citing HTS, Ebdo said: "One of the main reasons for this is to prevent a formation against them in the invaded lands. On the other hand, a dirty plan is being carried out against Sherawa, which is affiliated to Afrin Canton and is within the Autonomous Administration. They are planning a siege that will take this place inside. They want to reduce the population of Afrin people who moved to Sherawa district after they occupied Afrin. These invasions and HTS taking control of these places will lead to greater massacres in the coming periods. We know that during the time they were in Idlib, they committed many massacres in the lands where Christians and people of other faiths lived. Many non-Muslims were tortured to death by HTS. There are Yazidi people and Alevi people in Afrin. They are in great danger.”
MA / Ceylan Şahinli