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The new Damascus administration, led by Ahmed al-Shara, is trying to maintain the momentum of the recent operation that toppled the Assad regime in the process of reorganizing Syria’s public administration, strengthening the social structure, rebuilding a stable state structure and taking its place in the international system. For this, territorial integrity, unity and sovereignty are prioritized. The fact that the different organizations that overthrew the Assad regime abolished themselves and accepted a singularity that would fulfill the conditions of a modern state in a unitary Syria should be evaluated from this perspective. One of the most important obstacles to the realization of this understanding is the PKK/YPG structure in northeastern Syria, which has occupied some of the country’s territory, destabilizes social-political-security areas and continues to exist as a threat factor.
In line with territorial integrity, a single army structure and the acceptance of Syrian identity by all parts of the society, the structure in the north is contrary to the state model designed by the new Damascus administration. This makes it difficult to establish the planned stable structure, while the YPG’s threats in Syria disrupt both public order and national security. In particular, Arab residents east of the Euphrates, who believe that the fall of the Assad regime has eliminated threats against them, have begun to feel more pressure from the YPG. The organization’s weapons inventory, coupled with international support, increases its threat capacity. The concrete reason for this support, the fight against DAESH, remains on the table as an issue that the West does not deem sufficient for the new Damascus administration.
The fight against DAESH should be left to the new Damascus administration
However, DAESH is an organization that primarily poses a threat to Syria’s national security and the stability of the new administration. The formation of an organization like DAESH, which will carry out terrorist acts both in Syria and elsewhere, will also negatively affect the state reconstruction process. In order to create a successful state profile in the international system, it is important to avoid such a security gap at home and abroad. Moreover, since an organization like DAESH is known to pave the way for international influence and interventions, it becomes a crucial issue for the stability of Syria.
The fight against DAESH is divided into the fight on the ground and the issue of militants in prisons. It is known that there are about 10,000 militants from outside Syria and Iraq among the DAESH prisoners in the camps in the YPG-controlled Hasakah region. [1] Moreover, the YPG ends the detention of DAESH militants in groups for different reasons. If the management and control of these camps is transferred to the new Damascus administration, there may be a more transparent and fair detention. Due to the YPG’s arbitrary practices, arrests may become useless in the effective fight against DAESH.
On the other hand, the claim that DAESH is still present on the ground is the main reason for the YPG’s armed presence. The new Damascus administration can effectively fight against DAESH with the national army they will create by combining the military capacities of different organizations. It will be a test of sincerity for all actors to give the weapons and intelligence support given to the YPG to Syria’s legitimate and national army. In this very process, DAESH’s plans to attack a location such as Sayyida Zeinab Tomb in Damascus, which is considered important by Shiites, but the Damascus administration’s prevention of this attack concretized the chaos that DAESH wanted to create in Syria and the Damascus administration’s intention to fight.
Turkey is ready to end terrorism
Turkey seems to have adopted a plan for a peace and security order in the Middle East in general, where governments take strong initiative and act on common interests. Syria in particular is one of the geographies that has become a security gap for Turkey.
This vulnerability stems primarily from the so-called territorial sovereignty of the PYD just beyond the Turkish border, which threatens both Turkey and Syria. This situation also has an impact on the second sensitive issue, which is the formation of a new government in Damascus that can conduct a stable policy that ensures Syria’s territorial integrity. In addition to social peace and power capacity to ensure its internal security, Syria needs a state structure that is accepted and integrated into the regional and global system. In this way, it can manage and eliminate threats that may arise from the PKK/YPG, DAESH and other actors’ motivations.
Turkey is clearly supporting the new Damascus administration in all these processes. Ankara, which is trying to involve regional countries for greater acceptance and integration, sees security as the first issue to be resolved. In support of its call for the end of the PYD organization in the region, it is also developing policies to deal with issues such as DAESH, which is seen as its raison d’être. Ankara has also proposed working with the Syrian government to increase its counterterrorism capacity, citing Turkey’s previous success in the fight against DAESH. Today, the Syrian National Army (SMO), which is supported by Turkey in the north, provides great support to the Damascus administration in the fight against the PYD. However, it is clear that the SMO will also play an important role in the formation of a national army and will be effective against threats such as the PYD or DAESH.
In addition to all this, Turkey has confirmed that it can launch an operation in northern Syria to ensure border security in accordance with its right under international law. At the same time, it seems to have started creating a roadmap for diplomatic and economic steps to avoid creating a security gap. Following these, Turkey may establish a concrete presence in the region and support the completion of the process, as requested by the Damascus administration.
[1] https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/01/27/revictimizing-victims-children-unlawfully-detained-northeast-syria
This article has been published by Anadolu Agency (in Turkish) on January 14, 2025.
