Europe must save Syria from any takeover by Turkey-backed Islamists, according to the man who has spent most of his life opposing the regime of dictator Bashar al-Assad, his first cousin.
Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is seeking to restore its Ottoman Empire and will stand by as “rebels” turn Syria into an Islamist state, says Ribal al-Assad, who has been in exile since the age of nine.
In an exclusive interview with Brussels Signal, Ribal al-Assad said his people — both Muslims and non-Muslims — fear violence at the hands of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group that has taken over the country in just days.
HTS is backed by Erdogan, who could use his victory to expand his influence further or unleash a new wave of immigrants towards Europe, it is claimed.
“If Western countries leave it to Erdogan… if they think, ‘Oh, Erdogan is a NATO ally, and is a trustworthy ally’, it would be terrible,” Ribal said.
“What would stop Erdogan tomorrow from moving into Lebanon?” he said. “What could the West do?”
Turkey’s imperial ambitions are evident given the government’s actions in countries such as Libya and Azerbaijan, he claimed.
Erdogan believed Turks in these countries “belong to him”.
He continued: “And that’s very dangerous, we should, of course, do something”.
US politicians who have in recent days talked of protecting religious minorities — Syrian is home to a number, including Alawites and Christians and Druzes — should turn words into action.
Claims by HTS leader Abu Mohanned al-Jolani that minorities would be protected were worthless, Ribal said, comparing them to assurances by the Taliban, when they re-took power in Afghanistan, to respect women’s rights.
The US Biden administration is considering lifting sanctions on HTS based on an interview of al-Jolani “on CNN paid by Qatar”, said Ribal: implying any such decision would be much too premature.
HTS is currently considered a terrorist organisation in the US, UK and the EU.
“[al-Jolani] said things that the West liked,” said Ribal. “He was trained to say that, you know, but we should not be fooled.”
“Hamas at one point said, oh, you know, the West came out and said, ‘Oh, they had democratic elections’… but they forgot the part [about] throwing their opponents off the roof of the buildings.”
“…the Taliban when they were [retaking Afghanistan] they said: ‘Oh, don’t worry, we’re going to keep things the way they are. Women are still going to go to school’. As soon as they took power, women are not going to school”.
In addition to a new wave of immigrants, a Turkey-controlled HTS “could create a new jihadi crisis”. Syria could become “a safe heaven for all terrorists from all over the world”.
Europe “has the most to lose”.
Fears extends beyond Syria’s minorities, he said.
“I have many friends who are not a part of the minorities who called me yesterday and say, we don’t want to live under those people [HTS].”
“We want to drink, we want to dance, we want to, you know, it’s all part of Syrian culture… Syrians from all sides, they drink…”
“They don’t want some guy coming… and now they have curfews. They called me yesterday, they’re like, I don’t want this guy with a beard telling me at what time I should go home”.
The full interview will be posted on the Brussels Signal homepage and YouTube channel shortly.
