Turkish authorities apprehend former Al-Nusra chief on his way to KSA

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
15 Jun 2023 18:02
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Sources in Aleppo countryside told Al Mayadeen that the Turkish authorities had granted the Al Nusra leader entry to the country to facilitate his arrest.

Turkish occupation forces convoy drives in Idlib province, Syria, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020 (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Turkish Authorities have apprehended the former leader of Al-Nusra Front [part of Al-Qaeda terrorist organization] Abdul Moein Kahil, nicknamed Abu Al-Abd Ashdaa, upon entering Turkish territories.

"Abu Al-Abd Ashdaa was accompanied by his mother upon entering Turkey through the Salama crossing, where he was reportedly intending to go to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj rituals," sources in the countryside of Aleppo told Al Mayadeen.

The sources noted that the Turkish authorities had granted Ashdaa entry to the country to facilitate his arrest.

The sources added that his supporters in the Aleppo countryside launched a campaign protesting his arrest and calling for his safe return to Syria. Some even called for targeting Turkish points to pressure the authorities to release him.

Leaders of "armed rebel groups" are all haunted by the danger of arrest in light of the negotiations between Damascus and Ankara, the sources noted. His supporters lamented Ashdaa's decision to perform Hajj when he was listed on international wanted lists, and in light of Riyadh and Ankara's recent affinity with Damascus.

Abu Al-Abed Ashdaa is considered one of the most prominent leaders of the Al-Nusra Front since its founding. He acted as the local commander of the group in Aleppo before it was liberated by the Syrian Arab Army. He is responsible for carrying out dozens of field executions against civilians and military personnel until he defected from the group following disagreements with the Al-Nusra primary, Abu Muhammad al-Julani.

On another level, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are actively lobbying European countries to restore diplomatic ties with the Syrian government and ease sanctions on the country, according to Bloomberg.

The report says officials have been mobilizing at various levels with their European counterparts in the European Union for several months.

Diplomats of the two Gulf countries have tried to convince EU officials that lifting the sanctions imposed on Damascus is an integral part of any solution to the Syrian crisis, adding that diplomatic moves will not suffice if sanctions remain.

Bloomberg reported that the delegates argued that an economic recovery would encourage millions of Syrian refugees to return home, thereby elevating the strain on neighboring Lebanon and Jordan, which have been hosting refugees since the start of the war on Syria.