Syria's Revolution: Key Milestones from Early Protests to Assad's downfall - 1

Over the past years, Syrians have witnessed numerous developments and events, with many factors contributing to the deepening of the Syrian crisis. Among these were the Assad regime’s insistence on excluding all opposing views and forces, in addition to the hardline stance of the so-called opposition, which transformed into a tool and mercenary force in the hands of the Turkish occupation.

In this two-part report, we will briefly summarize the course of the Syrian crisis, from its inception in 2011 to its 15th year.

The Spark of Events: The South

Amid the spread of the so-called "Arab Spring," Syrians initiated their popular movement on March 15, 2011, beginning in Daraa in the south. This uprising was sparked by protests against the Assad regime, which had arrested several children for writing anti-regime slogans.

The demonstrations quickly expanded, with massive protests in Homs and the countryside of Damascus, met with violent repression by the Syrian regime's forces, resulting in numerous casualties. The Syrian movement entered a new, bloodier phase as the regime’s forces moved into Homs, leading to even more victims.

The Assad Regime Seeks Early Resolution

In March 2012, the Assad regime directed its military arsenal towards Homs, attacking the Baba Amr district and declaring its control after 26 days of intense fighting. In July of the same year, the crisis took a new turn when the regime's television announced the deaths of Defense Minister Dawood Rajha, Deputy Minister Assef Shawkat, and Deputy President Bashar al-Assad’s assistant, Hassan Turkmani, in a bombing that targeted the "Syrian National Security" building in the Rawda neighborhood of Damascus.

Turkey Floods Syrian Cities with Mercenaries and Extremists

Despite the progress made by armed groups against the Assad regime and their entry into several cities, the regime changed its strategy and plans, shifting focus to maintain control over strategically important cities, referred to as "useful Syria." However, Iranian support and the deployment of Shiite groups, including Hezbollah, along with the rise of Al-Nusra Front and ISIS, created additional burdens on the Syrian movement, complicating the situation and obscuring the overall picture.

Turkey opened its airports to receive mercenaries from around the world and facilitated their passage into Syrian territory. It also turned its borders into transit points for weapons flowing to the mercenaries in Syria, offering them all forms of material, moral, and medical support. Meanwhile, Iran mobilized Shiite fighters from wherever they were and sent them to Syria to fight alongside the Syrian regime.

ISIS Enters the Crisis

With the increasing influx of foreign mercenaries from across the globe and the use of sectarian and nationalist rhetoric in the region as a means of recruiting armed fighters, ISIS mercenaries occupied large areas of Syria and Iraq in the summer of 2014. This began with the capture of Mosul in Iraq at the beginning of June, followed by the occupation of Raqqa, which was declared the capital of their self-proclaimed caliphate on June 29. ISIS also took control of the vast majority of Deir ez-Zor, in addition to maintaining a presence in Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, rural Damascus, and several other Syrian regions, thereby occupying nearly half of Syria’s territory.

Russia's Direct Intervention

In 2014, the Syrian regime forces faced a major collapse, as the al-Nusra Front seized large areas of Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, Daraa, Homs, and Quneitra, with the regime's presence confined to major cities only. In response to this, Russia intervened and signed an agreement with the Syrian regime in August 2015, granting Russian military forces unrestricted and indefinite access to the Hmeimim airbase. From September 2015 onwards, Russia significantly increased its military presence in Syria.

A Different Path in NESyria: Social Contract and Elections

Amid the Syrian regime’s collapse and its withdrawal from various Syrian regions, leaving civilians vulnerable to ISIS mercenaries, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) took on the responsibility of safeguarding the three autonomous administrative regions declared in Rojava in January 2014. These regions—Jazira, Afrin, and Kobani—expanded to encompass northern and eastern Syria. The autonomous administration implemented the principles of democratic nationhood and the brotherhood of peoples, successfully uniting the diverse communities of the region, enhancing civil peace, and maintaining vital Syrian infrastructure. The administration developed through the formation of civil institutions, focusing on communal economy and the provision of essential services, while also empowering women by implementing a co-presidency system for every institution and council. The political and social work continues, with the development of a new social contract that will lead to elections in the near future.

U.S. Forces Officially in Syria

The U.S. administration monitored the performance of the YPG and YPJ in the fight against ISIS mercenaries. Following the formation of the international coalition against ISIS in 2014, the coalition forces were compelled to provide air support to the YPG and YPJ, particularly during the battle for Kobani in September 2014. This support continued thereafter, even as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were formed. The SDF liberated most of northern and eastern Syria from ISIS, with significant areas such as Manbij, Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and Baghuz being freed, marking the collapse of ISIS's physical caliphate.

Astana Meetings: Turkish Utilization of Occupation and Fighter Consolidation

Russia, Turkey, and Iran held 22 rounds of Astana meetings starting on January 23-24, 2017, to discuss the Syrian crisis without the participation of the crisis's primary stakeholders. The discussions’ goals and outcomes were clear: the continuation of Russian-Turkish agreements and the targeting of the self-administration project in northern and eastern Syria.

Turkey exploited this agreement to occupy Afrin, Serekaniye, and Tal Abyad, as well as parts of the rural areas of Idlib, Latakia, and Aleppo. In return, Russia enabled the Assad regime to control vast areas of Syria. During these meetings, Russia worked on consolidating armed groups in northwestern Syria, particularly in Idlib, with the aim of staging a coup against their Astana partners, ultimately supporting a military operation that led to the eventual collapse of the Assad regime.

Syrian opposition figure Ali Amin spoke about the stages of the Syrian revolution and its transformations, stating: "The Syrian revolution began on March 15, 2011, to save Syria, its people, and its civilization from the clutches of Assad's dictatorship, which had enslaved Syria, its people, and its civilization for the continuation of the regime in power, perpetuating corruption, and keeping Syria distant from playing its positive role in contemporary civilization."

He clarified, "The Syrian revolution was peaceful and civil throughout Syria, with no distinction between Arabs or Kurds, Christians or Muslims; everyone participated in peaceful demonstrations aimed at overthrowing the Assad regime and rebuilding Syria on civilized foundations."

He pointed out that "the Assad regime responded to the olive branch extended by the Syrians with artillery, aircraft, murder, destruction, and by bringing in Iranian and Russian mercenaries, Hezbollah, and terrorist jihadist factions. It destroyed Syria and its infrastructure, killing over a million people, displacing 12 million, and subordinating the country to neighboring states. The regime conspired with Turkey to occupy all of northern Syria."

a.k

ANHA