President Hafez Al-Assad in 1971
took over in Syria after several military coups that took place in the country
until the Arab Socialist Tamper Party came and took over the country, and then
Hafez Al-Assad was appointed president of the Syrian Arab Republic, and after
29 years in power, his term ended with his death.
His son, Doctor Bashar Hafez
Al-Assad, took power after him, and the young president continued in his
father's footsteps.
Their era was known for the strength
of the security services and total control of the country joining the army was
compulsory for young Syrians, which paved the way for the presence of an armed
force that stood up to the government when the crisis in the country began.
Free Syrian Army
When the demonstrations broke out in
Syria in 2011, after being influenced by other Arab countries that succeeded in
changing their rulers, the demonstrations in the country faced the severe
security services that dealt violently with the demonstrators and then used
weapons to repel them.
Many soldiers of the government army
have defected, and Colonel Riad Al-Asaad announced the establishment of the
Free Syrian Army, whose mission at the beginning was to protect the
demonstrators from the security services that killed the demonstrators.
The army shifted from the task of
defending the demonstrators to the task of controlling cities in the country
and attacking government forces, and the Free Army formed different brigades
and spread in different regions in Syria and followed a military council that
approved the plans and operations that these brigades would carry out under the
banner of Free Syrian Army.
The Free Syrian Army initially
obtained international support and recognition that it represented the
demonstrators against the Syrian government, in addition to the support provided
by merchants and the wealthy of Syria at that time.
This army has obtained financial
support and arms from Gulf countries and Turkey, which was the strongest
supporter through money and weapons, and Turkish lands became training sites
for these fighters, and Turkey became the headquarters of the Syrian opposition
and the leaders of the Free Syrian Army.
The Turkish Position on the Crisis
The Turkish-Syrian relations were
fairly good, and the two presidents had a good relationship before the crisis
and when the crisis began, Turkey tried to pressure Assad to meet the demands
of the angry people.
When it was announced that the
establishment of the Free Syrian Army was supported by Ankara with weapons and
money, and Turkey embraced it on its soil, the Free Army became using Turkish
lands in its operations and attacks on Syrian cities.
Turkey had aspired, through this
support, to be the partner that contributed to the overthrow of the Syrian
government, as Turkey was a supporter of the Arab Spring, and Turkey believed
that through this support, it might obtain a regional power position in the
region and become a major influence in the Middle East, which Crowded with
warring power and influence.
Turning to Mercenaries in Turkey
Then this
army turned, bit by bit, into an armed group affiliated with Turkey, which
became the first in control of this army and became working according to
Turkish interests in the Syrian crisis.
By virtue of
the presence of the leaders of the Free Syrian Army and the opposition in Turkish
territory, Turkey assumed their leadership and direction, and after this
submission to Turkey and fulfilling its desires.
After the
overwhelming victories achieved by the Syrian government army against them and
the disastrous failure of the Free Syrian Army and its disintegration into
random and internally fighting factions while Between them.
Likewise,
the emergence of the Islamic State and its control over large areas of Syrian
territory, the weakness of the Free Syrian Army and its shaking in front of the
Islamic State.
In addition,
formation of the Syrian Democratic Forces of the Kurds in the north and their
conviction to the international community of its strength and determination,
and achieving great victories over the Islamic State.
All these things
were enough to push the international community to withdraw its support for the
Free Syrian Army and to search for a strong new ally, and it was the Kurdish
Syrian Democratic Forces.
Greater
power, weakness and internal fighting, a new and more convincing ally of the
Kurdish forces, new international desires, and marginalization were enough to
divert the Free Syrian Army from the duty to defend the demonstrators and then
to control the cities and declare their liberation.
This free
army turned into armed groups that fight in favor of Turkey for the sake of
money and they became mercenaries.
Turkey used
these Syrian fighters in its war against the Kurds in northern Syria, and the
beginning was from Afrin, which Turkey turned into the colony of Turkey and
then Ras Al-Ain and the Syrian-Turkish border strip.
Turkey is
using its loyal army in order to convince the international community that they
are Syrians fighting on the territory of Syria, while they are an army of
delinquents who found money in Turkey and displaced millions of Syrians because
of their attacks and the killing of civilians, the majority of whom are Kurds
who reject their presence in their areas.
Syrians in
these areas began to see the Turkish flags in their skies and to use Turkish
money in addition to the education that became in the Turkish language and with
the recognition and approval of the expired Free Syrian Army.
Mercenary
War and Alternative Power
Turkey and
its Free Syrian Army did not stop at entering the Syrian lands and killing
civilians, but extended to interfering in the Libyan affair and sending Turkey
to these mercenaries to Libya and fighting alongside the Government of National
Accord and participating in the killing of the Libyans.
Also, according
to observers, Turkey is using them in the Azerbaijani-Armenian war in the past
few weeks, and Turkey supports Azerbaijan.
Syrian
people have lost hope in this army, which in a previous period was the only
hope they had.
International
community was also convinced that this army had become unhelpful and forced the
international community to change its policies, the most prominent of which was
the shift from the idea of Assad's departure to his survival and a political
solution to the crisis, as it shifted support to the Syrian Democratic Forces,
the force that struck the last nail in the coffin of the Islamic State.
Written by –
Abduljalil Hage
Edited by –
Adrija Saha
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