Reuters: Six months prior to the assault, Turkey was aware of the rebels' intentions to overthrow Assad's regime.

The Syrian opposition, which has taken control in Damascus, warned Turkey about its intention to launch a large-scale offensive against Bashar Assad's government forces six months before it began.

According to Reuters, this information comes from two informed sources.

They stated that the rebels could not act without informing the Turkish authorities, who have been the main sponsor of the Syrian opposition since the beginning of the civil war in Syria.

At the same time, they received tacit approval from Ankara for the operation, the primary target of which was to capture Syria's second-largest city, Aleppo.

The bold plan was developed by the group "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham" (HTS) and its leader Abu Muhammad al-Julani, claims one of the sources for Reuters.

Previously, Turkey, which signed an agreement with Russia in 2020 to de-escalate hostilities in northwestern Syria, opposed a large-scale offensive by the rebels, fearing it would lead to a new wave of refugees in the region.

However, according to Reuters sources, at the beginning of this year, the Syrian opposition sensed a deterioration in Ankara's position regarding President Bashar Assad. This occurred after Assad rejected efforts by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to find a political solution to the military stalemate that Syria found itself in.

The opposition seized this opportunity and presented their plan to the Turkish authorities for overthrowing Assad. They pointed out that the path of diplomacy "has not worked for years," so a different approach needs to be tried. As Reuters reports, their message was: "You don’t need to do anything, just don’t interfere."

The offensive by the Syrian rebels began on November 27. They entered Aleppo from the Idlib province and, after capturing the city, headed towards Syria's capital, Damascus. On the morning of December 8, they entered Damascus and declared the fall of President Assad's regime. He, in turn, fled to Russia, where he was granted asylum.

Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Ghazi al-Jalali announced negotiations with the rebels and the intention to organize a peaceful transfer of power.

According to the Turkish publication Karar, nine individuals may hold leadership positions in Syria. At the top of the list of those who will "influence the future" of the country is HTS leader al-Julani. He is followed by former Prime Minister Riad Hijab, current Prime Minister al-Jalali, and leader of the Syrian National Coalition, Hadi al-Bahra, who resides in Turkey.

After reports that Assad had resigned and left Damascus, al-Bahra announced plans to hold meetings with representatives of the UN, as well as Arab and European countries, to discuss the future of Syria.

At a conference in Doha dedicated to the situation in Syria, al-Bahra stated that the Syrian opposition would govern the country during a transitional period lasting 18 months, including six months for drafting a new constitution. He mentioned that the coalition of the Syrian opposition should be expanded to include "new elements of the opposition," after which he would be tasked with forming a transitional government until the new constitution is ratified.

Background. Regarding how the new phase of the Syrian conflict will impact the Russian-Ukrainian war, what Russia will do, and Ukraine's role in the "Syrian knot," political scientist Valeriy Maidanyuk shared insights with Mind.