Thousands in rebel-held northern Syria protest Turkish ‘reconciliation’ call

Thousands of people staged protests across parts of rebel-held northern Syria on Friday after Turkey called for reconciliation between Syrian opposition groups backed by Ankara and the government of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad. 

More than 11 years after civil war broke out in Syria, its northwest near the Turkish border is the last area still in the hands of fighters seeking to topple Assad, with control divided between jihadist factions and rebels backed by Turkey.

The Turkish government maintains thousands of troops in the area and backs a coalition of armed groups opposed to Assad under the banner of the Syrian National Army.

"We need to bring the opposition and regime together for reconciliation somehow, there will be no permanent peace otherwise," said Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday.

After he spoke, protests sparked in parts of rebel-held Syria, with people carrying opposition flags through the streets and pulling Turkish flags from buildings, including police stations and local administration offices. 

“We have suffered under this criminal for 11 years and we will continue with our revolution,” teacher Mahmoud Salo told Reuters at a protest in Azaz, Idlib on Friday.

Some 3,000 people gathered in Azaz while demonstrations were held in other parts of the northwestern Idlib province, as well as in neighboring Aleppo.

Ahmad Shawbak, a refugee from Aleppo working as an engineer in Azaz, said Cavusoglu's comments were unacceptable.

"If Turkey wants to stand with the world that is already against us, let it be, it won't change much," Shawbak said. "But we hope that Turkey's stance becomes more positive."