Turkey plans to open its fourth university in the northern Syrian territory it controls. It is just one of many steps that have people wondering if Ankara ever plans to leave the area.

In an apparently organized effort to establish parallel institutions in Syria, Turkey announced that Harran University will open a campus in the town of al-Bab, which Turkey captured during Operation Euphrates Shield (August 2016-March 2017). According to information on the school's website, the university's vice president, Ali Sariisik, has inspected a building to house the new facility.

“Al-Bab campus will be opened following completion of infrastructure and other preparatory work. The Harran University delegation met with local representatives in the building, which was flying the Free Syrian Army [FSA] flag,” the website said. “With completion of the work on setting up the campus, thousands of young people will finally have a university to attend at Jarablus, Cobanbey (al-Rai), al-Bab and Afrin,” having been cleared of forces from the Islamic State, the Kurdistan Workers Party and the Kurdish Democratic Union Party, all of which Turkey considers to be terrorist groups.

Classes at the Harran extension will be taught in either Arabic, English or Turkish, depending on each department’s assessment of the most appropriate language for its field.