Basic issue: Syrian opposition reported meetings with Russian Federation representatives
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- Basic issue: Syrian opposition reported meetings with Russian Federation representatives


Members of the Syrian opposition met with Russian representatives in Ankara and Doha after the change of power in Damascus. Anas al-Abda, a member of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (NCRS), told Izvestia. According to him, during the contacts they discussed the vision of the new structure of Syria. He added that the future of Russia's bases in the republic depends on a joint agreement between the two countries, while reiterating the need for good relations built on the common interests of the Syrian and Russian peoples. Meanwhile, sectarian tensions have escalated in the republic after unknown assailants burned an Alawite shrine and killed five civilians.
Contacts of the Syrian opposition with representatives of the Russian Federation
After the change of power in Damascus, members of the Syrian opposition structures met with Russian representatives, contacts took place in Ankara and Doha. This was told to "Izvestia" by Anas al-Abda, a member of the NCRS. "Izvestia" sent requests to the Russian embassies in Turkey and Qatar to confirm the fact of the meeting.
It is assumed that a "transitional body" will be established as part of the transit of power in Syria, which will include representatives of the NKORS.
- "Meetings and consultations were held in Ankara and Doha between Russian officials, the Syrian Negotiations Commission and the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, and at these meetings the vision of the revolutionary and opposition forces for the future of Syria was discussed," Anas al-Abda told Izvestia.
The NCORS was established in 2012 in Qatar and consisted of political emigrants. Since 2015, some of its employees were transferred to terrorist-controlled Idlib, where power was held by the so-called salvation government, the central element of the administrative and economic project of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, recognized as a terrorist and banned in Russia). It was formed in November 2017. In January 2019, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham extended its jurisdiction over the entire northwest. The National Coalition depends on external handlers, primarily Turkey and Qatar.
"The Syrian Negotiations Commission" is the umbrella structure of the Syrian opposition, established in Riyadh following a conference of Bashar al-Assad's opponents that ended on December 10, 2015. The organization included not only members of the National Coalition, but also representatives of the internal moderate opposition.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Dec. 19 that Russia maintains relations with all groups in Syria and countries in the region. "An overwhelming number of them tell us that they would be interested in having our military bases in Syria remain," he said on a direct line.
According to the Syrian opposition representative, the issue of keeping Russian military bases will depend on bilateral agreements between Moscow and Damascus. Anas al-Abda emphasized the need to support good relations built on the basis of common interests of the Syrian and Russian peoples.
The Russian president also commented on the situation in this vein. Vladimir Putin noted the importance of finding mutual interests that can consolidate the Russian presence in the region. "We have to think about it, because we have to decide for ourselves how our relations with those political forces that now control and will control the situation in this country in the future - our interests must coincide," he said.
Syrian authorities' approach to Russian bases
The change of power in Syria may require a revision of relations. Possible points of contact with the new authorities could be economic aid, participation in the restoration of infrastructure or other support.
"Already now we can do something, including using these bases - we have already offered this to our partners, including those on the territory of Syria, and neighboring countries. We have proposed using, say, the Khmeimim air base to deliver humanitarian aid to Syria. And this was accepted with understanding and a desire to organize this work together. The same applies to the naval base in Tartus," the Russian president said.
However, Turkey, the main patron of the new Syrian authorities, has already stated its opposition to the presence of Russian military bases in Syria. "We do not approve of keeping any bases in Syria - not only Russian bases, but any other bases," the republic's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized in an interview with France 24. However, he further emphasized that the decision should be made by the Syrian people.
Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the changing situation in Syria requires a revision of approaches to the Russian military presence in the Arab country. It is about "the parameters of their functioning, maintenance and support, the order of interaction with the local side."
So far, there have been no demands from the leadership of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham for the withdrawal of Russian troops.
- The new Syrian authorities' careful approach to Russia's military presence fits well with their current policy of legitimizing their own activities in the eyes of the regional and world community," Grigory Lukyanov, a member of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia.
The HTS declares its peace-loving position, thus maximizing the readiness of European and regional states to recognize their claims to power and the governments created by them, where de facto representatives of this group dominate, the expert noted.
- Russia's military bases on the territory of Syria in today's conditions can in no way threaten the military and political goals of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. They are not used, on the contrary, military equipment, machinery and personnel that were deployed at other facilities of the Russian units in Syria are taken out through them," Grigory Lukyanov said.
At the same time, the expert added that the Russian bases have not become the center of concentration of Alawite formations or units of the former Syrian Arab Army, which are considered an opponent of the HTS.
Interfaith escalation
Meanwhile, the situation in Syria remains tense. The leadership of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fails to fulfill its promises to contain inter-ethnic contradictions. The fact is that the regime of Bashar al-Assad was perceived by many Sunnis as holding the power of the privileged Alawite minority (about 12% of the population of the SAR) over the Sunni majority. Of course, this does not mean viewing the conflict solely through the prism of "Sunni - Alawite," but it would be naive to believe that tensions and animosity between the groups have disappeared.
In recent days, a video has circulated on social media of how militants of a terrorist organization burned down an Alawite shrine in Aleppo, killing five people who were there.
The Interior Ministry controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham called the video outdated, recorded during the liberation of Aleppo, and this action, as they assure there, was carried out by unknown groups. Recall that Aleppo was taken on December 1.
The tension was accompanied by other militant attacks on Alawite and Christian villages. In the Christian town of Skalbya, militants burned a Christmas tree.
As a result, mass Alawite protests erupted in Latakia on December 25. Demonstrators demanded a halt to attacks on symbols and religious shrines and security. There were clashes in some places. Sunnis in Hama province responded with a mass demonstration calling for an end to the "shabiha," the name given to Assad's predominantly Alawite supporters.
New Interior Minister Muhammad Abdel Rahman said on the evening of Dec. 25 that 14 Interior Ministry officers were killed and 10 others wounded after being ambushed by remnants of Assad supporters in the Tartous province area.
Curfews have been imposed in the provinces of Latakia and Homs following mass protests, and the Military Operations Command announced on December 26, in conjunction with the Interior Ministry, that it had launched an operation to sweep Tartous province of those allegedly opposed to the new authorities in Damascus.
So far, all this demonstrates the inability of the new authorities in Damascus to pacify their militants. Such incidents could be a catalyst for sectarian tensions in the country. The escalation could lead to new outbreaks of violence and jeopardize any prospects for stabilization in Syria.
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