ALWAGHT- A report has revealed that the Turkish government was aware of militants' plan to launch a major offensive against Bashar al-Assad's government, which ultimately led to the Syrian president's ousting.
According to a report by Reuters on Monday, militants informed Turkey about their plan to launch an offensive against Bashar al-Assad's government around six months ago, citing a regional diplomat and an alleged member of the anti-Damascus groups. The Syrian source revealed that the militants shared details of their plan with Turkey, urging Ankara not to intervene in the attack. Following this communication, the militants felt they had received tacit approval from Turkey.
One source stated that the militants believed there was no way they could proceed without first informing Turkey. The report came a day after militants stormed the Syrian capital following significant gains in northern Syria about two weeks after their resurgence.
The report also mentioned strong support for the armed groups from Ankara and some Western nations, who have been key backers of anti-Damascus factions since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had tried to engage with Assad in the months leading up to the offensive, adding that Ankara "knew something was coming."
However, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz denied that Ankara was behind the offensive or had given its consent. A Turkish official also stated that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the main armed group involved in the offensive, does not receive orders or coordinate operations with Turkey.
