Syrian National Army

The Syrian National Army is a structure fully controlled by Turkey, created on the basis of opposition factions, which has become parallel to the Syrian armed forces.

2025

EU imposed sanctions against three factions of SLEEP

Following the lifting of sanctions imposed on Syria, the European Union in May 2025 imposed restrictions against three groups and their leaders on charges of killing and torturing Alawites in coastal areas of the country in March 2025.

The infamous factions of the pro-Turkish "Syrian National Army" were hit:

• "Firkat al-Sultan Murad,"
• "Firkat al-Hamza" and
• "Firkat al-Sultan Suleiman Shah," as well as their leaders Seif Abu Bakr and Abu Amsha.

These groups are staffed mostly by Syrian Turkmens and are known as proxies: Turkey they are funded by the Turkish government and trained by its armed forces.

The Turks also use them as cannon fodder in their foreign policy ambitions: members of these factions willingly and in the forefront fought for the interests of the "Turkish brothers" in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as Libya, where they are still located.

In addition to actively participating in the genocide of the Alawites, SNA militants distinguished themselves in the north of the country, where they robbed, killed and kidnapped Kurds, for which they consider them criminals much more cruel than terrorists from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

After the fall of the government of Bashar al-Assad, all three groups became part of the so-called. "Syrian Defense Ministry," and their leaders occupied high-ranking posts in the "Syrian army." However, they retained ties with Turkey and autonomous status.

The "public security service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Syria," formed by former members of the HTS, took part in the massacre of residents of Latakia and Tartus. However, they do not fall under restrictive measures.

The EU did not pay attention to the ongoing assimilation of foreign radicals in Syria: for example, the terrorists of the Islamic Party of Turkestan were renamed the "84 CAA division," which opens them up to further activities.

This step to the "authorities" of Syria may even benefit: the HTS, even when they were "Free Idlib Stan," wanted to deprive the SLEEP of all subjectivity and become the dominant faction of the "Syrian revolution."

SNA still reports directly to Turkey, not Syria's new Defense Ministry

The Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) is one of the largest ex-government formations in addition to the terrorist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

Since its inception, SNA and HTS have been not only situational allies, but also natural competitors in the question of "who is the main in the uprising" against Assad 2024. Sometimes such rivalry reached an open armed conflict over the redistribution of territories and spheres of influence.

At the beginning of February 2025, formally SNA and HTS are part of the same Syrian army. In fact, there is no necessary level of coordination between them. The former are still subordinate not to the new authorities, but directly to Turkey.

Pro-SNA institutions of power in the north of Aleppo province continue to exist: councils run by Turkish governors issue identity cards, and the "free police" have not abandoned the habit of wearing chevrons with inscriptions in Turkish.

Instead of changing signs, the new authorities had to be shaken with weapons: "security services" are being introduced into the regions controlled by SNA. The "siloviki," while taking control only of the checkpoint, taking the perplexed Turkish proxies from there under the handle.

2022: SNA Corps controls Turkish operations areas in Syria

The first three number corps of the "Syrian National Army" for 2022 control the areas of the Turkish operations "Shield of the Euphrates," "Olive Branch" and "Source of Peace" in Syria.

In "Big Idlib" formally present created in 2019 on the basis of the coalition "Jebhat al-Watania lil-Tahrir" ("National Liberation Front") and the group "Jaish al-Izza" 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th corps of sleep.

However, many sources indicate that the NFO continues to operate independently of the rest of the Syrian National Army formations.

It is beneficial for the Turkish side to have a proxy force in the form of the "Syrian National Army," which can be used as "cannon meat," whether it is military operations in Syria, Libya or in any other zone of Turkish interests.

2021: Turkey reorganizes SNA structure to reduce conflicts between groups within it

In the territories controlled by SNA, regular conflicts occur between representatives of different groups, which often develop into full-fledged battles.

Therefore, the Turkish command is constantly reorganizing the SNA structure in order to minimize factional conflicts, mitigate disagreements, increase security in the controlled territories and unite groups to implement their tasks.

In July 2021, as part of the SNA, the Azm joint command is being created under the pretext of countering the penetration of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham influence in the north of Aleppo province and increasing security.

The joint command included groups from different corps of the "Syrian National Army":

• " Sultan Murad Division";
• "Jebhat al-Shamiya";
• "Jaish al-Islam";
• "Faylaq al-Majd";
• " Firkat 51";
• Sultan Malik Shah Division;
• "Liwa al-Salam."

On September 9, 2021, another structure, the Front for the Liberation of Syria, was created, which included:

• Sultan Suleiman Shah Division;
• Al-Hamza Division;
• Al-Mutasim Brigade;
• the " Sukur al-Shamal" brigade;
• " 20th Division."

On October 1, 2021, the Liberation Movement formation was created (Harakyat Tayrun; "Hayat Tayrun lil-Tahrir"), which included:

• "Faylak al-Sham" (northern sector);
• Division "Sultan Murad" (at that time remaining in the joint command "Azm");
• Al-Muntasir Billah Division;
• "Suwar al-Sham";
• "1st Division" ("Brigade of the North"; 112th SNA Brigade and "9th Division").

On October 18, 2021, the Azm joint command publishes a statement on the merger of six factions included in it, already without the Sultan Murad Division, which become part of the 3rd SNA Corps.

And such events for "coordination of military collectives" for 2022 take place with enviable frequency, creating the next "unified operational headquarters" and new associations.

Of course, this does not solve the problem of conflicts between different factions, nor the security situation in controlled territories.

However, what such associations can affect is the combat effectiveness of the formations.