Idlib, where international interests conflict

SHERVIN MUSTAFA / AL-SHAHBA

The gangs and the military factions, especially Hayet Tahrir al-Sham have dominated most of the Syrian province of Idlib land since the beginning of the Syrian revolution in 2011, while the Syrian regime seeks to play the role of the attacker in playground led by Russia and Turkey to camouflage the sight of everyone launching military campaigns to liberate Idlib city and restore it under its control.

In this dossier, we will touch upon the importance of Idlib, states conflicting over it.

Strategic location…

Its strategic location is an extension of its location throughout history, where the commercial caravans from Antakia, Aphamia, Aleppo, Afs and the al-Ameq plain. Since the third millennium BC, Ebla Kingdom has been the link between the Mediterranean and the Far East world, where one third of Syria's archaeological sites is stored in Idlib.

The city is located on the north gate of Syria, which overlooks Turkey and Europe. It is estimated at 6,100 km2. It is bordered to the north by the Eskandron area overlooking Turkey with a length of 129 km, from the east Aleppo with 159 km long, from the south Hama by 158 km long and Latakia with 29 km in the west.

Idlib is located within an olive forest and on the road from Antakia to Maerat al-Numan, Hama and Damascus, and the road between Aleppo and Latakia.

It occupies the eighth rank on the level of Syria in terms of area, as well as the fifth place in terms of population, occupies a distinguished and important position on the Silk Road and is a transit point for invasive armies and an important route for commercial convoys from Europe to the east or vice versa through Bab al-Hawa border crossing.

Idlib was a small village, probably it was  called (Wadi Lib). It consists of two parts the Grand Idlib, which is located north of the current Maerat Masrien road, Darsa village, and  the Small Idlib, south of the former, about 3 kilometers away.

History of Idlib

Idlib village was affiliated to Sermin in the past, and its importance began to appear after the attention of the Grand Muhammad Pasha Kuperli (1583-1661), exempted it from the duties and taxes and established buildings that still exist today, and the people from Jisr al-Shughour and Sermin and neighboring villages headed to it, and developed at the expense of Grand Idlib.

In the second half of the eighteenth century Idlib it was related to Jesr al-Shegour then to Ariha and then became the center of the district in 1812, and then the center of the province in 1960.

Like the rest of the Syrian cities in the early 20th century, Idlib suffered from starvation due to World War I and was destroyed. Its men were forced into conscription, its livelihood was confiscated, and it suffered again from the French occupation when Abrahim Hannano took it stronghold for his revolution against France and was shelled on January 20,1920

Mohammed Pasha Kuperly organized Idlib according to an urban plan of his own choosing, where he built the khan al-Shahadin and khan al-Rez and organized its markets, making each trade a special market and paving its streets with stone. The general outline of the city consists of an old oval nucleus, old and densely populated neighborhoods, and new neighborhoods spread around the nucleus.

The components..

The population of the city of Idlib is estimated at 2.5 million people, mostly Arabs, and a small percentage of Turkmens and Kurds. The majority of the population is Sunni, and there are Christians, Druze and other religious minorities..

What is Idlib famous for?

Idlib and its countryside are famous for its olive crop. In 1772, the brothers Rassel, renamed it the Olive Country, which is its first crop. In Idlib, there are various ancient industries, such as the olive presses. In the Ottoman occupation, 200 underground olive presses all vanished as well as the soap industry in the era of Mohammed Pasha, there were  thirty-six soap factories, and the manufacture of molasses and shoes.

Historical sites

Idlib is Surrounded by a large number of archaeological areas as al-Bara and Rueha and Qelb Lawza and Qaser al-Benat and others, and is not more than 15 km from al-Arbin Mount of the best resorts in the north, along with dozens of other archaeological sites.

The economy

The agricultural sector occupies the leading position for the presence of dams and irrigation systems, which gaved the city the label of green city, while the area of investment is 347,570 hectares or 56.5%, and is characterized by fertility of its lands and the abundance of rain and the number of agricultural seasons and the density of forests where it occupies an area of 18,211 hectares, or 13.5% as well as the variety of fruit trees in the forefront of which is the olive tree, which number about 15 million trees with an average annual production of about 160 thousand tons.

The stages that Idlib experienced in the revolution

Idlib revolted at the beginning of the Syrian revolution in 2011, where most protests and demonstrations were in Jisr al-Shughour, Maerat al-Numan, Jabal al-Zawiyyah and Saraqib, until it was placed within the fourth zone of de-escalation in a trilateral deal "Iran, Russia and Turkey."

March  23-2015: Jaish al-Fateh announces battle to control Idlib, and after five days, it took control of the entire city, and was the second governorate after al-Raqqa out of control of the regime

April 25, 2015: Jaish al-Fateh controls Jesr al-Shegour in the western countryside of Idlib, the gate of the province to Latakia, stronghold of the Syrian regime.

September 9, 2015: Jaish al-Fateh  controls the entire Idlib countryside and the city, after controlling Abu al-Zehor military airport in the eastern countryside Idlib, which was the last strongholds of the regime in the province.

The end of 2015, was the end of Jaish al-Fateh after Jund al-Aqsa faction withdrew of Jaish al-Fateh, and accused the rest of the factions of belonging to IS mercenaries.

Idlib also witnessed confrontations between the mercenaries of the Fateh al-Sham (formerly al-Nasra) and the mercenary gangs that emerged from Aleppo, and ended with the fusion of a number of them in Ahrar al-Sham.

The period after the departure of the mercenary gangs from eastern Aleppo also witnessed the disintegration of the mercenaries of Ahrar al-Sham movement.

Hayet Tahrir al-Sham controlled Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey and the surrounding areas after clashes with Ahrar al-Sham Movement and also controls the city of Idlib and the crossing and the surrounding areas.

Al-Jabha al-Watania Leltahrir and al-Jaish al-Watani are sons of the Turkish occupation

After the Syrian regime promoted a battle against the mercenary gangs to liberate Idlib, the mercenary gangs, which included the mercenaries of the former Jaish al-Fateh and Haet Tahrir al-Sham, sought to disguise their existence and declared a front including mercenary gangs named al-Jabha al-Watania Leltahrir and al-Jaish al-Watani later.

Al-Jabha al-Watania Leltahrir and al-Jaish al-Watani were formed in a novel written by the Turkish occupation to extend its influence in Syria by supporting and collecting the mercenary gangs around them and annexing them in different names. However, Turkey considers that Idlib is an area of ​​influence due to the presence of al-Qaeda remnants, IS mercenaries and other mercenary gangs.

Idlib at the current stage

After the Tehran summit meeting not more than ten days ago, the rulers of Turkey and Russia met again at the Sochi summit on  September 17. It was remarkable not to invite Iran after it was the sponsor of the Tehran summit ten days ago. It turned out that Erdogan and Putin wanted to show the public that they have ended Iranian mediating in the Syrian war remaining alone in the Syrian arena, and also to thwart what resulted at the Tehran summit.

In response to Turkey's announcement Iran announced that it would not participate in the Idlib Liberation Campaign, and in fact after its announcement that the regime's attacks on Idlib had stopped, on the other hand, Israel's bombing of the Syrian governorates Hama and Latakia was a strong message to Iran, that there is a common scheme among countries against Iran so that each country can take care of its interests and trade in Syrian blood.

The agreement between Russia and Turkey on the Idlib issue at the Sochi meeting included the survival of al-Qaeda remnants and was heard in Idlib under the auspices of Turkey through the construction of a buffer zone of 15 to 20 Km deep, thus protecting Turkey's mercenaries in Idlib.

Therefore, the current plan will be how to end the Iranian presence in Syria by Russia and Turkey, and Iran will seek to thwart the scheme of Russia and Turkey on Syria and failed the scheme of Russia and Israel.

The Turkish presence along the lines of the presence of foreign countries in Syria will not serve in any way to find a political and peaceful solution that satisfies all the Syrian parties. The Turkish presence will seek to spread the seed of terrorism and mercenaries in other regions.

A.H

ANHA