Beyond Annexing Idlib: Turkey Still Intends to Forcefully Overthrow Syria’s Government - Ex Foreign Minister

Amid escalating clashes in Syria’s Idlib province, Turkey’s former Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis has elaborated on Ankara’s foreign policy objectives in the theatre. With the Syrian Arab Army attempting to reclaim the territory it has faced facing ongoing resistance from Turkish sponsored jihadist militant groups and increasingly from Turkey itself. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pledged to deny Damascus control over its northernmost province, and the Turkish military has carried out extensive strikes on Syrian positions and provided massive fire support to jihadist militias on the ground. According to Minister Yakis, Ankara’s designs go far beyond denying Syria’s government control over Idlib, and Turkey remains intent on forcing a change in the country's government in line with its own interests.

The former Foreign Minister stated: “Turkey initially did not intend to fight in Syria against Syrian soldiers but became too active in Idlib, where it defended armed Salafi jihadist groups. However, now Turkey has no intention of abandoning them, and continues to protect them.” He noted that Turkey’s support for jihadists was intended to maintain leverage in Syria, providing it with a strong position in future negotiations which could allow it to engineer a change in the Syrian political system. “Turkey seeks Bashar [Al] Assad's resignation,” he concluded, and favoured a government with a similar ideological leaning - a pro-Western Islamist leadership. With Syria benefitting from considerable support from Russia, North Korea and Iran among other parties, and having succeeded in recapturing territory across the country from jihadist militias after nine years is fighting - idlib being the last major militant stronghold - Ankara’s designs are unlikely to come to fruition.