Despite years of overhauling HTS’s global reputation, al-Jawlani’s strategy in northwest Syria has long been driven by opportunism instead of ideology.
Turkey is confronting the al-Qaeda splinter group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra - in Afrin, a Kurdish-majority region of Syria currently controlled by the Turkish government. In fact, after years in the area, HTS has been declared a terrorist organisation by the Turkish government and NATO, which has withdrawn most of its forces from Afrin, Turkish security sources confirmed to the Middle East Eye.
Recent developments in northwest Syria have showcased the ambiguous relations between the Turkish authorities and one of Syria s largest Sunni jihadi groups. Syria observers have long noted the tacit cooperation between Ankara and the Hayat Tahrir
Dozens of civilians reportedly have been killed and injured in fighting between militant Islamist rebels and Turkish-affiliated armed groups in the region