Analysis

Will HTS offensive be opening for Erdogan to offer US-Turkey reset on Syria, Russia?

The Russia-Iran alliance has been strengthened by the Ukraine war.

Andrew Parasiliti
Andrew Parasiliti
Dec 1, 2024
Fighters enter the Rashidin district on the outskirts of Aleppo on their motorbikes with smoke billowing in the background during fighting on Nov. 29, 2024, as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadists and allied factions continue their offensive in the Aleppo province against government forces.
Fighters enter the Rashidin district on the outskirts of Aleppo on their motorbikes with smoke billowing in the background during fighting on Nov. 29, 2024, as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadists and allied factions continue their offensive in the Aleppo province against government forces. — BAKR ALKASEM/AFP via Getty Images

The Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham stunned just about everyone with its military offensive on Aleppo this past week.

Everyone that is except Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who, with the offensive, has raised the stakes in his appeal to the incoming Trump administration, seeking to be recognized as a primus inter pares partner not only for Syria and the Middle East, but for the Russia-Ukraine war as well.

Whatever Erdogan’s motives, the bigger picture is coming into view: the two theaters are indeed linked by Russia’s depth of ties with Iran, which has become a vital partner in Moscow’s war in Ukraine, in addition to their shared interests in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East and beyond.

Erdogan seeks reset in Syria 

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