Since its March 5 deal with Russia on Syria’s rebel-held province of Idlib, Turkey has remarkably increased its military presence in the region, while its plans to force radical groups to toe the line have given rise to some intriguing developments in jihadi ranks. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group dominating Idlib, has adopted a conciliatory attitude toward Turkey after initial resistance to the reopening of the M4 highway, while a diehard radical camp sticks to its menacing posture.

In its latest show of pragmatist rapport with Turkey, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham allowed the Turkish lira to circulate in Idlib as an alternative to the embattled Syrian pound. The move was not without controversy, sparking criticism of indirect banking links with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which Turkey lists as a terrorist organization. Even more remarkably, however, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has made moves to rein in or undermine the intransigent radicals in Idlib.

While the Astana, Sochi and Moscow deals on Idlib have all called for the elimination of all terrorist groups in the region, Turkey has treated Hayat Tahrir al-Sham differently in practice. Pro-government media and think tanks have even sought to portray the group as a moderate and reasonable interlocutor. In a sense, Ankara is inclined to treat any militia as reasonable, regardless of its ideology and links, as long as it doesn't mess with the Russian-Turkish deal or Turkish moves on the ground. Ankara's primary motive here is to avoid attracting jihadi wrath on Turkey. Accordingly, getting jihadis to force other jihadis to toe the line has been part of Turkey's strategy. And things on the ground have progressed favorably thus far.

The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham pragmatist wing has prevailed in the in-house rift that followed the Turkish-Russian deal, hammered out in Moscow in March, but those who remain bent on fighting have turned to alternative alliances. In mid-June, the al-Qaeda-inspired Hurras al-Din, Ansar al-Din, Tansiqiyat al-Jihad, Ansar al-Islam and Muqatileen al-Ansar formed a joint operations center, dubbed Fathbutou (Be Steadfast). Since then, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has moved to undermine the new alliance, which not only challenges Hayat Tahrir al-Sham's authority by fanning divisions, but also provides a justification for Russia to resume military operations.