Sebastian Usher

Hakan Fidan is the first foreign minister to go to Damascus since the toppling of Bashar al-Assad and the taking of power, essentially, for now at least, by Ahmad al-Shara and his HTS group. Now, what he was saying is, in one sense, a continuation of his efforts...

Hakan Fidan is the first foreign minister to go to Damascus since the toppling of Bashar al-Assad and the taking of power, essentially, for now at least, by Ahmad al-Shara and his HTS group. Now, what he was saying is, in one sense, a continuation of his efforts...

to portray himself as a pragmatist, as a moderate, as a man who wants the future of Syria to be very different from its past, to see a unified Syria after the years of conflict and division. And, of course, that is something to be expected and something that would be welcomed by the rest of the world. And it is a very difficult situation. I mean, there are a number of military groups involved.

to portray himself as a pragmatist, as a moderate, as a man who wants the future of Syria to be very different from its past, to see a unified Syria after the years of conflict and division. And, of course, that is something to be expected and something that would be welcomed by the rest of the world. And it is a very difficult situation. I mean, there are a number of military groups involved.

that are operative in Syria. They include HTS and other similar factions, factions down in the south, which also rose with HTS in the toppling of Bashar al-Assad. ISIS is still operative to an extent. And most importantly, I think perhaps, Is the SDF for Kurdish-led forces over in the northeast?

that are operative in Syria. They include HTS and other similar factions, factions down in the south, which also rose with HTS in the toppling of Bashar al-Assad. ISIS is still operative to an extent. And most importantly, I think perhaps, Is the SDF for Kurdish-led forces over in the northeast?

Now, that's where it gets complicated, because essentially, as we're saying, Turkey was perhaps the key backer of HTS and Ahmad al-Shara, and it sees the SDF as simply an offshoot of the Kurdish separatists in Turkey and regards them as a terror group and has actually mounted several invasions into the north of Syria over the past years. to push them back.

Now, that's where it gets complicated, because essentially, as we're saying, Turkey was perhaps the key backer of HTS and Ahmad al-Shara, and it sees the SDF as simply an offshoot of the Kurdish separatists in Turkey and regards them as a terror group and has actually mounted several invasions into the north of Syria over the past years. to push them back.

So it's interesting that Ahmad al-Shara in this meeting with the Turkish foreign minister should make such a priority of the SDF and that they should give up their weapons. Obviously, if Syria is to be united, that is going to have to happen.

So it's interesting that Ahmad al-Shara in this meeting with the Turkish foreign minister should make such a priority of the SDF and that they should give up their weapons. Obviously, if Syria is to be united, that is going to have to happen.

But whether taking on the SDF now, endangering some of the gains that the SDF has actually made in terms, I mean, remember that this is the group that with US support essentially defeated ISIS. And it has run the northeast of the country, probably in just about the most efficient way that any part of the country has been run during the conflict. So there's a lot to lose.

But whether taking on the SDF now, endangering some of the gains that the SDF has actually made in terms, I mean, remember that this is the group that with US support essentially defeated ISIS. And it has run the northeast of the country, probably in just about the most efficient way that any part of the country has been run during the conflict. So there's a lot to lose.

And the SDF certainly feels that its position. has coming under more and more attack. It never really took on Assad's forces, but it's certainly now very much the focus of the attentions of Turkey and of Ahmad al-Shara.

And the SDF certainly feels that its position. has coming under more and more attack. It never really took on Assad's forces, but it's certainly now very much the focus of the attentions of Turkey and of Ahmad al-Shara.

Obviously, Ahmad al-Shara will hope that there will be no new armed conflict over this, but that is a possibility because the SDF, the Kurdish administration there, feels it has a lot to lose.

Obviously, Ahmad al-Shara will hope that there will be no new armed conflict over this, but that is a possibility because the SDF, the Kurdish administration there, feels it has a lot to lose.

When Israel launched the major part of its offensive, including the ground offensive against Hezbollah back in October, it targeted mainly the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Bekaa Valley in the east, parts of which are under Hezbollah control, and the south. So in all of those areas, the Lebanese army has been clearing roads, opening roads, clearing rubbish and debris,

When Israel launched the major part of its offensive, including the ground offensive against Hezbollah back in October, it targeted mainly the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Bekaa Valley in the east, parts of which are under Hezbollah control, and the south. So in all of those areas, the Lebanese army has been clearing roads, opening roads, clearing rubbish and debris,

There are parts of South Lebanon which are almost flattened by the Israeli airstrikes that took place. And also the unexploded munitions from Israel in particular. Today it staged about a seven-hour operation. devoted to that in several areas. So all of these are building some confidence in Lebanon and outside that this ceasefire deal, despite many violations that have taken place, may hold.

There are parts of South Lebanon which are almost flattened by the Israeli airstrikes that took place. And also the unexploded munitions from Israel in particular. Today it staged about a seven-hour operation. devoted to that in several areas. So all of these are building some confidence in Lebanon and outside that this ceasefire deal, despite many violations that have taken place, may hold.