The Rojava Information Centre (RIC), has published a new report focusing on the Syrian National Army (SNA) - a kaleidoscope of militias in opposition to Assad's government, ranging from moderately Islamist to jihadist, and often fighting one another. These groups have been placed under a strict command structure by Turkey since 2017.

As this report demonstrates, the (re)organization of opposition militias since 2016 is strongly correlated with Turkey's military operations in Syria. Infighting between SNA militias, thus, should be seen as part of Turkey's divide-and-rule strategy.

Through these militias, which are highly dependent on their northern neighbor, Turkey has been able to invade Syria 3 times since 2016, leaving 1,000s dead and 100,000s of Syrians displaced, & Turkifying & ethnically cleansing the occupied regions with plausible deniability.

The occupied territories are ruled de jure through the SNA's political wing, the Syrian Interim Government, itself firmly in the grasp of Erdogan's Turkey, yet de facto managed by Turkish regional governments. 

Moreover, this report investigates the relationship between Turkey's incursions into Syria and Erdogan's political future. It concludes that Syrian wars are crucial for the president to remain in power, & as he hemorrhages voters at home, a war against NES becomes ever more likely.

Meanwhile, the militias within the SNA, who were formed around their opposition to Damascus, have not fought the central government at all since being coopted by Turkey. Instead, they have been forced into wars against ISIS and especially the SDF, Turkey's main enemy in Syria.

Conversely, RIC concludes that the SNA is not only dependent on Turkey, but that their future existence is directly tied to Erdogan's rule.

The full report can be read here