unofficial translation of an article by Yeni Demokrasi:

The attack launched by the jihadists under the leadership of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) on November 27 quickly affected the Middle East. The jihadist gangs, who first seized Aleppo, then Hama, Homs and finally Damascus, have also established general control. The Syrian army has handed control over to the gangs at the end of their withdrawal. It is indisputable that there are big plans and investments behind this daring move by the gangs that have been trapped in Idlib for years. The HTS leadership had openly declared that the target was Damascus when they seized Aleppo. It is widely believed that the forces behind the gangs’ invasion attack are the US and England.

The Syrian National Army, SNA, which is directly financed by the Turkish Republic, which is a servant of the imperialists and has intense commercial relations with the Zionists, has also acted together with HTŞ. Therefore, it is no coincidence that immediately after the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel on November 26, HTS and SNA attacked regime-affiliated forces, Iran-affiliated targets and Hezbollah. This attack is in line with the imperialists’ aim of “cleansing” the region of destabilizing elements.

These policies, which were being pursued in favor of Israel in the region, had entered a new phase with the Gaza attack. The Abraham Accords were shelved with the October 7 attack, and the Zionists had attacked Gaza with all their might. After Hezbollah joined the war, the Zionists took Hezbollah to the forefront and the attack perimeter expanded, and Syria and Yemen were also targeted. Attacks were carried out northwards on Syria to break the resistance of Iran and Hezbollah, and southwards on Yemen to cut off the resistance’s supply routes. Finally, Syria was targeted as the “destabilizing element” in the Middle East equation. Western imperialists and Zionists have put reactionary forces in the region into action to break up Syria ’s ties with Iran and Hezbollah, render the regime dysfunctional, and subsequently disrupt the regional interests of Russian imperialism. The same policy has been facilitated through jihadist gangs and reactionary groups supported by the Turkish Republic. The rulers explained the gangs’ attack as an excuse to end the oppression of the Nusayris and Shiites and were prepared to strengthen the ground that Zionism has in the new Middle East equation.

The escalation of the conflict in Syria has brought with it the possibility of a major attack on Yemen. Because Yemen has a strategic position for the anti-Zionist struggle on a regional scale, as it is bordered by the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. Israel ‘s attack on Gaza has led to the consolidation of anti-Zionist forces in the Middle East and Asia to a further level. The Houthis, who are part of the “Axis of Resistance” alliance, have played an active role since October 7 by targeting the aid ships sent by the imperialists to Israel via the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. This has made Yemen a target for the imperialists and their collaborators, who mostly provide ammunition and energy to the Zionists. Therefore, taking control of Yemen means a struggle for existence for both the anti-Zionist forces and imperialism and Zionism.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

On December 8, HTS, which had taken control of Homs, announced that they had also captured Damascus and that the Assad regime had ended. On the other hand, Trump announced that if the Israeli hostages held by Hamas were not released before the inauguration date of January 20, “all hell to pay. Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied history of the United States of America.” He announced that he would intervene in developments in the region. This ultimatum was met with a new wave of attacks in Syria. By the fall of Damascus, the northern support for the anti-Zionist resistance has been cut off for now. In this context, the question of “is Israel opening a new front?” has also become clear; taking control of Syria has definitely opened the door to a new front for Israel.

With the fall of Damascus, Assad left the country. However, HTS leader al-Julani had announced that state institutions would remain under the supervision of Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Jalali until the government was overthrown, and finally the “handover” took place. On the other hand, local sources initially reported that the gangs did not show any direction towards Latakia and Tartus, where the Alawites lived, that the Alawite villages in Hama were not evacuated, and that Russian imperialism continued its presence in Latakia and Tartus. However, Russian imperialism later withdrew its forces from the area and the gangs entered these regions and created a picture of savagery. These developments show that the Western imperialists are following a policy of compromised balance.

IS ROJAVA A TARGET ?

After clarifying the main forces behind the new wave of attacks in Syria, it is essential to evaluate Rojava in relation to current developments. After the gangs took action on November 27, two Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo, Sheikh Maksoud and Ashrafiyah, took a special place on the agenda. While the gangs attacked northern Aleppo, SDF forces carried out military deployments to the region. As a result of brief clashes, it was announced that an agreement was made between HTS and the YPG for the Sheikh Maksoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods. It is valuable to say that the US initiated this agreement. Because with the new wave of attacks, the possibility of carrying the clashes to Rojava became a much-discussed issue and the SDF called for mobilization.

The partnership established by the imperialists with Rojava, although not more important than Israel’s interests, has a special place in the Middle East equation. In the current balance, the imperialists and Zionists are not essentially aggressive towards the Kurdish National Movement. Indeed, Israel and the US occasionally emphasize the importance of establishing relations with the Kurds. However, the Turkish Republic’s aggressive stance specifically against the Kurdish National Movement has always maintained its place on the agenda. For this reason, there is always the possibility of an attack by the Turkish Republic and the groups it supports on Rojava. Because Bahçeli, speaking on behalf of the Turkish Republic, stated that they would not vacate the field until the YPG will be destroyed and that Manbij will be next. The SDF announced that a state of emergency was declared after the fall of Damascus. The Turkish Republic continues to call for conditional peace domestically to end the Kurdish national struggle and continues to target Kurdish national gains abroad with “terror” rhetoric. The Aleppo landing paved the way for the Turkish Republic to become a subject in Syria . Thus, the scope of the threat of the Turkish Republic towards Rojava has expanded and given the message to the US that it is the most useful tool in the region. However, as we have stated above, the imperialists are not positioned to target Rojava. Therefore, while the equation is being re-established in Syria, as long as the US ‘s interests with Rojava do not conflict, the balancing act between the parties will continue and it is not possible to give the Turkish Republic green lights for an invasion. We will see in time whether HTS and SNA will act with hostility towards Kurds despite their imperialist masters.

LET’S CORRECTLY UNDERSTAND THE QUALITY OF DEVELOPMENTS

The overthrow of the Assad regime by gangs is already being celebrated by some progressive circles. Yes, Assad’s reactionism has ended, but reactionary policies towards the peoples of the region will continue. Recent developments in Syria have once again shown that imperialism can encourage unjust wars for its own interests. The rulers have failed to break the national resistance in Palestine and Lebanon, and have found the solution in spreading the war to the region. In this process, we are witnessing the imperialists and their collaborators marketing elements they declared as “terrorists” for their own interests as apostles of democracy. National movements with an anti-imperialist and anti-Zionist character in the Middle East will continue to be targeted by the imperialists and their collaborators. It should be noted that the overthrown Assad regime was reactionary and that Iran was a balancing element in the continuation of reactionism, and that these forces are anti-Zionist in this balance. Therefore, the disruption of the Iran-Syria equation has weakened the anti-Zionist struggle for the time being.

The revolutionary-democratic aspect of acting in the interests of the Syrian people against these reactionary attacks, correctly distinguishing between reactionary and progressive forces, correctly identifying just and unjust wars, and accepting the legitimacy of national movements with democratic content against national oppression is gaining importance.