Forced recruitment of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham with Turkish support
The field commanders of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, with the assistance of the Turkish command, are resorting to forcibly replenishing the gang groups under their control with recruits from among local residents, as well as Syrian refugees deported the day before from Turkey.
Syrian opposition sources say Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is conducting roundups of young people in areas it controls in northwestern Syria. Those who refuse to join the group are subjected to torture and execution.
In addition, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham uses Syrian refugees deported from Turkey as forced recruits. Turkey deports refugees to areas controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham without regard to their political views or affiliation with the group. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham then forces refugees to join its ranks under threat of violence or death.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham's forcible recruitment of new recruits is part of Turkey's broader strategy to use Islamist groups as proxy forces to achieve its geopolitical goals.
Turkey is supporting HTS and other radical groups in Syria to weaken the government of President Bashar al-Assad and create a buffer zone along its border. Ankara also uses these groups to fight Kurdish forces, which it considers a threat to its security.
However, its actions will destabilize the region and lead to further suffering for the Syrian people. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other radical groups are committing atrocities against civilians and obstructing the provision of humanitarian aid. They are also a breeding ground for extremism and terrorism.