US Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed that the United States has established “direct contact” with Syria’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebels. This disclosure comes as Western and Arab states, along with Turkey, jointly express support for a united and peaceful Syria following recent developments in the country.
Washington declared HTS a terrorist group in 2018, therefore Blinken’s remark during Saturday’s Syria negotiations in Aqaba, Jordan, is troubling. Blinken said, “We’ve been in contact with HTS and with other parties,” but he did not elaborate on the type or scope of this correspondence.
Since Bashar al-Assad’s administration was overthrown by HTS-led forces, the diplomatic situation in Syria has been changing quickly. Turkey announced the reopening of its embassy in Damascus, a move that highlights the shifting dynamics. This move ends a 12-year lapse in Turkish diplomatic presence in Syria, which started early in the Syrian civil war, and comes about a week after the overthrow of Assad’s regime.
Due to its significant influence in the northwest, Turkey has played a significant role in the crisis in Syria. In addition to maintaining a cooperative connection with HTS, which led the attack that ultimately resulted in Assad’s collapse, Ankara has given financial assistance to armed organizations operating in the region.
Diplomats from the United States, Turkey, the European Union, and other Arab nations attended the summit in Jordan. A joint statement issued after the discussions stated that the participants “affirmed full support to the Syrian people at this critical point in their history to build a more hopeful, secure and peaceful future.”
The international community is calling for a Syrian-led transition that would “produce an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government formed through a transparent process,” with a strong emphasis on respecting human rights. The group’s statement optimistically declared, “Syria finally has the chance to end decades of isolation.”
As the situation in Syria continues to evolve, various stakeholders are making their voices heard. The head of the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, operating in the country’s north-east, appealed on Saturday for Kurds “to adopt a favorable position toward the Syrian dialogue.” This is an indication of readiness to contribute towards the ongoing process of constructing the political architecture of Syria’s polity.
The United Nations is also frequently participating in these discussions. Geir Pedersen, the UN’s special envoy for Syria called on the participants of the Jordan talks to focus on humanitarian assistance and to avoid the deterioration of state structures. Such stress upon functional governance structures indicates the attention of the international community to the power and stability void following a regime shift.
As Syria is at this crossroads the interaction of the sides with such groups as were previously identified as terrorists to transform the existing conflict, shows the composite nature of conflicts’ regulation and state-building. Over the future weeks and months diplomatic maneuvers leading and following the next events will reach another level due to everyone trying to shape the Syrian future in his/her/their own favor.
The position remains completely uncertain, more questions left unanswered about the form of the new Syrian government, internationals actors’ involvement, and the way to peace and stability. While their counterparts try to find ways of moving through these stormy waters, the Syrian people continue to look forward to a more pacific and prosperous tomorrow.
This is a new chapter in this Middle Eastern nation’s history and the globe holds its breath to see if regional and international players will do all within their powers to put Syria on the right path. But the real question now is whether or not governments, organizations and other stakeholders, who are working towards supporting the diplomatic initiatives will culminate in practical changes in the lives of the average Syrian family who has been ravaged by this war for far too long.
