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Syrian Interim Government

The Syrian Interim Government (SIG) (Arabic: حكومة السورية المؤقتة, romanized: Ḥukūmat as-Sūriyya al-Muwaqqata) was a provisional administration formed on 18 March 2013 by the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces to serve as its executive branch amid the Syrian civil war. It operated primarily as a quasi-state in Turkish-occupied northern Syria, including areas like Azaz, Jarablus, al-Bab, and Afrin, where it provided civil governance, public services, and local security in cooperation with Turkish forces. Initially led by Prime Minister Ghassan Hitto, who resigned after four months amid internal divisions, the SIG evolved into a more stable entity under subsequent leaders like , focusing on administration in Turkish-backed zones secured through operations such as Euphrates Shield (2016) and (2018). Its defining characteristics included efforts to maintain moderate opposition credentials, contrasting with the more ideologically rigid Syrian Salvation Government in , though its authority remained constrained by Turkish oversight and dependency on external support. The SIG's notable achievements encompassed delivering essential services such as , healthcare, and utilities to millions in war-displaced populations, while fostering local councils and economic activities in its territories, which expanded to cover significant portions of and border regions by 2020. Controversies included allegations of , factional infighting, and complicity in Turkish proxy militias' abuses, including and , which undermined its legitimacy despite claims of representing broader Syrian aspirations for transitional rule. By late , as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-led forces advanced against the Assad regime, SIG-aligned units participated in the offensive, facilitating the eventual integration of its administrative framework into post-Assad transitional structures.

Background and Formation

Origins in the Syrian Opposition

The Syrian civil war began in March 2011 as peaceful protests against Bashar al-Assad's escalated into armed conflict following the government's brutal crackdown, including mass arrests and shootings of demonstrators, which killed hundreds in the initial months. In response, opposition groups formed the on October 2, 2011, in to unify political representation abroad, followed by the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces on November 11, 2012, in , which aimed to coordinate revolutionary efforts and seek international recognition as a legitimate alternative to the . Militarily, the emerged on July 29, 2011, from defected soldiers to protect protesters and capture territory, while establishing local civilian councils in liberated areas to manage basic services like water, electricity, and security amid the collapse of state authority. These early structures reflected a pragmatic need to govern vacuums created by withdrawal, prioritizing civilian welfare to sustain popular support against Assad's forces. Regime atrocities, empirically documented through on-ground investigations, intensified the imperative for opposition governance. The Assad government deployed barrel bombs—crude, unguided explosives filled with shrapnel and fuel dropped from helicopters—indiscriminately on civilian areas, with the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) recording nearly 82,000 such attacks by April 2021, resulting in thousands of civilian deaths and the destruction of hospitals, schools, and markets. Complementing this, chemical weapons strikes, including the attack on Ghouta suburbs of on August 21, 2013, were confirmed by a fact-finding mission as involving gas deployed via surface-to-surface rockets, with casualty estimates exceeding 1,400 deaths based on medical reports and video evidence analyzed by international investigators. Such tactics, violating , displaced millions and eroded any remnant legitimacy of the regime, compelling opposition factions to develop administrative frameworks to deliver aid, enforce order, and counter narratives of chaos in rebel-held zones. Russian military intervention from September 2015 accelerated opposition territorial losses and internal fragmentation, confining moderate groups to fragmented northern pockets while extremists gained footholds in ungoverned spaces. Turkey's , launched August 24, 2016, alongside units, cleared militants from a 5,000-square-kilometer border in northern , establishing de facto safe zones that enabled localized governance experiments by opposition councils. This causal dynamic—regime offensives creating power vacuums prone to jihadist exploitation—necessitated interim structures for service provision, such as education and healthcare, to stabilize populations, avert resurgence, and preserve anti-Assad cohesion without relying on foreign occupation. These efforts underscored the opposition's adaptive realism: filling state absence to maintain civilian allegiance amid relentless bombardment and blockade.

Establishment and Early Operations

The Syrian Interim Government (SIG) began operational governance in Turkish-backed areas of northern Syria in mid-2016, following the appointment of Jawad Abu Hatab as prime minister by the Syrian National Coalition on July 12, 2016. This cabinet formation received confidence from 68 of 98 participating members, marking a shift from its prior exile status to administering liberated territories. The initiative integrated existing local councils in regions like , Jarablus, and , which had been secured during Turkey's launched in August 2016 against forces. Early operations prioritized consolidating administrative control in northern Aleppo peripheries after Syrian regime withdrawals and Turkish military advances, emphasizing resumption of essential services such as water supply and electricity restoration to support civilian populations. By late 2016, the SIG had relocated elements inside Syria, enhancing its on-ground presence and credibility among locals, as noted by Abu Hatab and affiliated sources. These efforts facilitated the return of displaced persons, with Turkish reports indicating over 100,000 refugees repatriated to SIG-controlled areas by early 2017, aided by infrastructure rehabilitation. The SIG navigated immediate challenges from jihadist competitors, including (HTS), by pursuing pragmatic coordination with moderate factions to maintain stability and prevent territorial fragmentation in opposition-held zones. Despite limited military backing, initial milestones included establishing ministerial frameworks for interior, finance, and service delivery, though control over armed groups remained contested.

Governance Structure

Executive and Ministerial Framework

The executive framework of the Syrian Interim Government (SIG) is structured around a who directs a , emphasizing appointed technocrats to deliver services in opposition-held enclaves amid constraints. This setup favors executive efficiency over representative assemblies, with leadership selected by the Syrian National Coalition's to navigate fragmented control and security threats without relying on elections. Jawad Abu Hatab, a heart surgeon born in 1962 near , was appointed in May 2016 following the assembly's vote, serving until his resignation in March 2019. His tenure focused on consolidating administrative functions in areas like northern , prioritizing practical governance over ideological debates. Abdurrahman Mustafa succeeded him around 2019, retaining the role through 2024 as a businessman born in 1964 in . Mustafa, previously leading the Syrian Turkmen Assembly since 2014, oversaw operations in Turkish-backed zones such as Afrin and , stressing civilian safety and integration with local forces. He handed over powers on , 2025, amid national transitions. The ministerial council, comprising 10-12 members at inception, allocates portfolios including interior (security coordination), finance (resource allocation), health (medical aid distribution), and (school operations). Ministers are chosen for expertise, enabling decree-based decisions that circumvent veto risks in contested regions, thus adapting to causal pressures of where delayed could exacerbate humanitarian shortfalls.

Administrative and Judicial Systems

The Syrian Interim Government (SIG) implemented a layered administrative framework characterized by central oversight of provincial and local councils in Turkish-backed opposition enclaves such as , Jarablus, and Afrin. Provincial councils, numbering around 12 by late , coordinated policy implementation and resource allocation under SIG directives, while over 400 elected local councils managed essential services like , healthcare, and utilities at the level. This emphasized coordination rather than rigid centralization, allowing to local conditions through integration of tribal and clan leaders, whose influence in areas like northern bolstered governance legitimacy amid fragmented opposition dynamics. Resource constraints and dependence on Turkish provincial linkages often resulted in ad hoc administration, with local councils facing inconsistent funding and overlapping authority from military factions. Despite these limitations, the system facilitated basic service delivery in controlled territories from onward, prioritizing empirical needs over ideological uniformity to maintain stability in post-Euphrates Shield and operation zones. The SIG's judicial mechanisms blended elements of pre-war Syrian civil codes with Sharia-influenced rulings, particularly in personal status and cases, while civil and criminal matters drew from secular statutes where feasible. Courts operated under a rudimentary , with the SIG establishing the Higher Judicial in to train judges and standardize procedures, aiming to address gaps in legal expertise amid the civil war's disruptions. This hybrid approach countered perceptions of unchecked by incorporating civil elements, though enforcement relied on local enforcers due to scarce formal policing infrastructure. Judicial challenges included jurisdictional overlaps with Turkish-influenced tribunals and limited capacity for complex case resolutions, leading to reliance on informal via tribal in clan-heavy regions. While comprehensive data on caseloads remains sparse, the system's focus on accessible, localized justice contributed to reported declines in localized disorder, as security measures supplemented courts in maintaining order without full reliance on military intervention.

Territorial Control and Military Integration

Controlled Areas and Borders

The Syrian Interim Government administers territories in northern centered on the districts of Afrin, , and Jarablus, originally consolidated following the Turkish-led in August 2016 and in January 2018. These areas constitute a strategic enclave along the Syrian-Turkish border, providing a base for local governance amid ongoing instability. Control extends to adjacent pockets in northern province, supporting for a population swelled by internally displaced persons. SIG authorities oversee key border crossings with , including al-Rai (Çobanbey), Jarablus, and Bab al-Salama, which channel , commercial goods, and returns. These facilities handled over 7,000 Syrian returns from in December 2024 alone, underscoring their role in population movements. Coordination with Turkish border forces emphasizes regulated flows, with passport requirements introduced in August 2025 to curb irregular and activities, generating revenue that bolsters administrative functions. Challenges to territorial control include incursions from (SDF) elements affiliated with the YPG, particularly along eastern and southern perimeters, where attempts to expand influence have tested SIG boundaries. Responses have prioritized defensive consolidation, leveraging geographic positioning and alliances to deter advances without escalating to offensive operations, maintaining a posture of limited preservation.

Coordination with Syrian National Army

The (SNA), a coalition of Turkish-backed opposition factions primarily operating in northern , functions as the de facto military enforcer for the Syrian Interim Government (SIG), with formal subordination to the SIG's Ministry of Defense established after the government's formation in December 2024. This arrangement enables the SIG to coordinate security operations through the SNA without developing an independent combat force, focusing instead on administrative oversight, including procurement and factional recruitment standardization to prevent fragmentation. Abdurrahman Mustafa, appointed as SNA commander, reports directly to the SIG's defense ministry, facilitating unified command structures amid the SNA's estimated 30,000-50,000 fighters drawn from diverse groups like the Sultan Suleiman Shah Division and Hamza Division. Joint military efforts between the SIG and have emphasized integration during the late 2024 offensive that ousted the Assad regime, where SNA units advanced alongside Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)-led forces to secure and northern territories, contributing to the rapid collapse of regime defenses by December 8, 2024. Post-offensive coordination has involved SNA deployments for internal stabilization, such as securing supply lines and countering remnant threats from affiliates in rural areas, with SIG directives channeling Turkish-supplied equipment—valued at over $500 million annually in pre-2025 aid—to SNA brigades under centralized vetting. On February 3, 2025, the SIG appointed two SNA faction leaders to command new army divisions, marking a key step in merging SNA units into a framework while retaining their operational autonomy for rapid response. Despite these linkages, coordination faces challenges from the SNA's ideological heterogeneity, including Salafist elements and ex-regime officers, leading to reported reluctance among some faction leaders to fully integrate due to fears of accountability for prior violations in areas like Afrin. Turkish has pragmatically enforced , prioritizing anti-extremist purges and joint patrols to maintain the anti-Assad front's , as evidenced by a , 2024, agreement integrating all armed factions under SIG authority. This Turkish-influenced unification has stabilized SNA-held enclaves, reducing inter-factional clashes by 70% in early 2025 per Turkish assessments, though SIG oversight remains limited by SNA dependence on for funding and basing.

Foreign Relations and Support

Turkish Backing and Influence

has provided extensive military and logistical support to the Syrian Interim Government (SIG), enabling its control over territories in northern through operations such as in January 2018, which involved Turkish forces and (SNA) fighters nominally under SIG command to dislodge Kurdish-led forces from Afrin. This operation secured approximately 2,000 square kilometers, establishing a that aligned with SIG-administered areas and facilitated subsequent governance structures tied to Turkish provincial oversight. Turkish aid has included funding, training, and equipping the , which operates under the SIG's Ministry of Defense but receives direct Turkish direction, with estimates of SNA strength reaching 50,000-100,000 fighters sustained by Ankara's resources. This support extends to cross-border economic mechanisms, such as toll revenues from Syria-Turkey border crossings deposited into SIG-linked accounts in Turkish banks, bolstering administrative capacity in opposition-held zones. By 2020, Turkey's cumulative expenditures on services like , , and in these areas, alongside broader refugee hosting costs exceeding $8 billion since 2011, underscored the scale of enablement, though exact SIG-specific allocations remain opaque due to integrated proxy funding models. Turkey's influence manifests in SIG policy orientations, particularly through military integration that prioritizes countering —viewed by as an extension of the PKK threat—while promoting relatively secular governance frameworks to differentiate from more Islamist factions like HTS. This has involved Turkish facilitation of SIG's establishment of unified command structures in and ongoing training programs, fostering mutual strategic alignment over unilateral dependency. Such backing serves Turkey's geopolitical imperatives, including refugee burden-sharing (with over 3.6 million hosted domestically) and creating a security buffer against Assad regime remnants and Iranian proxies, positioning SIG zones as a pragmatic alternative to HTS or unchecked . Claims of SIG as a mere overlook these reciprocal interests, where Ankara's leverage ensures border stability without full territorial absorption.

Interactions with Other Factions and International Actors

The Syrian Interim Government (SIG) maintained tense relations with (HTS), the dominant faction in province, characterized by periodic clashes and failed unity efforts amid competition for opposition legitimacy. In July 2017, HTS forces launched attacks on (FSA)-aligned groups affiliated with SIG precursors in northern , seizing key positions and exacerbating divisions; these incidents, part of broader infighting, resulted in dozens of casualties and temporary territorial losses for SIG-linked militias before deconfliction agreements brokered through external mediators stabilized frontlines. Despite rhetorical calls for opposition unity via bodies like the Syrian National Coalition, practical cooperation remained limited, with HTS viewing SIG as a Turkish undermining its stronghold, leading to sporadic border skirmishes through 2024. SIG's stance toward the (SDF) was overtly adversarial, framing the Kurdish-led coalition as proxies for the (PKK)—a designated terrorist group by and the U.S.—and a threat to Syria's territorial unity. This rivalry manifested in military confrontations, including (SNA) offensives under SIG coordination, such as the 2018 , which displaced SDF control from , resulting in over 100,000 displacements and entrenched enmity. Ongoing clashes persisted, with SNA advances against SDF positions in and Euphrates Valley areas killing hundreds between 2018 and 2024, driven by SIG priorities to prevent autonomous Kurdish enclaves. Engagement with Western states occurred primarily through opposition coalitions like the Syrian Negotiation Commission, where SIG sought diplomatic recognition and aid, but yielded limited results due to concerns over SNA's historical jihadist affiliations, including ties to ex-al-Qaeda elements. The U.S. and EU provided rhetorical support to moderate opposition via the National Coalition but withheld formal endorsement of SIG governance, maintaining sanctions on associated entities amid fears of empowering extremists; for instance, U.S. designations persisted on SNA components despite SIG's administrative claims. European engagement focused on humanitarian channels rather than political legitimacy, with SIG's bids for inclusion in Geneva talks stalling over factional disunity and unverifiable commitments to pluralism.

Policies and Achievements

Service Delivery and Reconstruction Efforts

The Syrian Salvation Government (SSG), the administrative precursor to the Syrian Interim Government in and surrounding areas, oversaw the operation of approximately 1,800 schools serving around 650,000 students as of 2024, enabling continuity of formal amid ongoing conflict. Following the expansion of control after of the Assad regime in 2024, the Interim Government has integrated these systems into a national framework, with school years commencing under unified administration in September 2024 across opposition-held territories. Health services were similarly maintained, with hospitals and facilities operational through local funding and cross-border aid coordination, preventing total collapse in northwest despite bombardments that damaged infrastructure. Economic stabilization efforts included agricultural support programs, such as low-interest loan grants to farmers covering seeds, fertilizers, , and pesticides, distributed in 2021 to bolster production in Idlib's fertile plains. Local markets were facilitated through subsidized and allocations, with a 2021 budget of $3 million directed to support 85 bakeries producing affordable , mitigating acute shortages in a region facing national food insecurity levels exceeding 14 million people per UN estimates. These measures contributed to localized against risks, as evidenced by sustained wheat-to-bread supply chains in SSG areas, even as broader UN data from 2017–2024 highlighted persistent vulnerabilities without attributing specific reductions to alone. Humanitarian aid distribution under the SSG prioritized basic needs via partnerships with local organizations, channeling resources to displaced populations in camps and urban centers without overt political exclusion, though access negotiations with international actors were required due to sanctions. Post-2024 transition, the Interim Government has emphasized empirical targeting of aid for , , and reconstruction, aligning with UN calls for service recovery while integrating NGO efforts like school rehabilitations into state-led plans.

Security and Anti-Terrorism Measures

The Syrian Interim Government has conducted targeted operations to dismantle () cells and counter resurgence attempts, including the arrest of an ISIS network in a central announced on February 19, 2025. Syrian forces under interim carried out counter- activities during April-June 2025, focusing on disrupting attack planning amid reports of ISIS ambushes, bombings, and assassinations in Syrian territories. These measures aim to prevent revival through proactive intelligence efforts, with the government's HTS roots providing experience in suppressing jihadist rivals during prior governance. Collaboration with , the primary external supporter, bolsters these anti-terrorism initiatives via the (), which operates in northern areas historically contested by . Turkish backing extends to joint operations against shared threats, leveraging capabilities developed through prior anti- engagements in Euphrates Shield and other campaigns. This partnership emphasizes border security and intelligence coordination to neutralize cross-border terrorist flows, aligning with 's strategic interest in stabilizing adjacent territories. To ensure loyalty and cohesion in security forces, the interim government integrated rebel factions, including SNA components and regime defectors, into a unified structure under the Ministry of Defense by late 2024. This merger incentivizes alignment by offering roles in a professional, state-loyal apparatus, reducing factional rivalries that could enable terrorist infiltration and encouraging further defections through demonstrated opportunities for participation in the post-Assad order. Such restructuring supports civilian protection by minimizing internal violence, as evidenced by the absence of widespread chaos in the initial months following Assad's fall, contrasting with the civil war's sustained displacements.

Criticisms and Controversies

Human Rights Allegations and Governance Failures

Human Rights Watch documented widespread abuses by Syrian National Army (SNA) factions in Turkish-occupied northern Syria, including arbitrary arrests without due process, incommunicado detention in unofficial facilities, torture such as beatings and electric shocks, and extrajudicial executions, often targeting perceived Kurdish affiliates or civilians suspected of disloyalty, with at least 1,300 cases of arbitrary detention reported between 2018 and 2023. The SNA, integrated into the Syrian Interim Government (SIG) structure following the 2024 territorial expansions, has faced criticism for failing to prosecute commanders responsible, perpetuating a culture of impunity that undermines governance accountability. In partial response, the SIG's Ministry of Defense formed an investigative commission in early 2025 to probe SNA violations, resulting in limited internal inquiries but no public convictions or systemic reforms verified by independent monitors as of October 2025. United Nations experts highlighted targeted abductions and enforced disappearances of over 20 Alawite women and girls in SIG-controlled areas in July 2025, attributing these to security forces in a suggestive of sectarian intersecting with gender-based , prompting calls for SIG-led investigations that remain unfulfilled. Such incidents reflect broader Islamist pressures within SIG-affiliated groups, including restrictions on minority religious practices and forced conversions reported in and provinces, though SIG proponents cite the absence of mass expulsions or genocidal policies—unlike the Assad era's documented 470,000 civilian deaths—as evidence of relative restraint. The SIG's Interim Constitutional Declaration of March 2025 nominally safeguards non-Muslim minorities' personal status s, yet implementation lags, with minority representatives decrying tokenistic inclusion in governance bodies amid unchecked militia autonomy. Governance transparency deficits persist, exemplified by unverified reports of aid mismanagement in SIG territories, where local committees have been accused of favoritism in distributing humanitarian resources without external audits, eroding despite SIG pledges for oversight mechanisms. Independent analyses urge mandatory third-party of SIG financial flows, noting that opaque and —totaling millions in Turkish and Gulf —facilitate potential without empirical data released by the SIG as of mid-2025. Proponents rebut these as exaggerated by regime-aligned exiles, emphasizing internal committees that resolved 15% of dispute claims in northern areas by September 2025, though critics counter that self-reported metrics lack and fail to address underlying judicial politicization.

Dependency and Sovereignty Issues

The Syrian Interim Government (SIG), operating primarily in Turkish-occupied northern , exhibits significant operational dependency on , which supplies essential military logistics, funding, and strategic oversight to the affiliated (). This arrangement manifests in Turkish veto authority over critical decisions, particularly those involving international security, sanctions, and military engagements, as evidenced by the alignment of SIG-supported operations with Ankara's priorities, such as countering YPG forces deemed extensions of the PKK. Without this backing, the SIG's territorial control—spanning parts of , , and Afrin since major Turkish interventions like in 2018—would likely mirror the collapse of other opposition enclaves lacking comparable state-level patronage, such as those in prior to 2018 reconquests by regime forces. Critics, often from Western outlets and exiled opposition voices, frame this reliance as undermining Syrian and evoking neo-colonial dynamics, pointing to economic indicators like widespread use of the in SIG areas, which erodes monetary independence and facilitates . Yet such assessments overlook causal parallels in the Assad regime's deeper subjugation to , where exerted direct command over militias, funneled billions in , and vetoed domestic policies through IRGC networks, enabling territorial retention at the cost of —a dependency rarely equated to "puppetry" in mainstream analyses despite empirical parallels in foreign troop presence and decision overrides. This selective scrutiny reflects institutional biases in and , where Iranian influence is normalized as "" while Turkish support for anti-Assad entities draws sovereignty indictments, despite the latter's role in preventing jihadist vacuums akin to those post-2014 in unbacked zones. Internally, SIG leadership navigates tensions between nationalist aspirations for autonomy and pragmatic necessities, with figures like advocating calibrated alignment to prioritize territorial stability over immediate independence, as articulated in responses to critiques of Ankara's dominance. Empirical outcomes substantiate this strategy's viability: the SIG has sustained governance over approximately 4 million residents in contested areas from 2020 through late 2024, delivering services and countering remnants in ways unattainable without external enablers, contrasting with fragmented opposition holds elsewhere that dissolved amid resource shortages. These dependencies, while constraining full , represent a rational to Syria's fragmented power landscape, where isolation equates to defeat rather than principled self-reliance.

Evolution and Current Status

Key Developments up to 2024

Following the formation of the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG) in November 2017 under (HTS) control in province, the entity consolidated authority through internal military campaigns. In February 2018, HTS forces engaged in clashes with the Syrian Liberation Front—a coalition including remnants of —resulting in HTS's dominance over 's opposition factions and expansion of administrative reach to approximately 50% of the province by mid-2018. This internal consolidation strained resources but enabled the SSG to centralize service provision, including education and health sectors, amid ongoing displacement inflows. External pressures intensified in late 2019, as Syrian regime forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, launched a major offensive into southern , capturing over 1,000 square kilometers and displacing nearly 1 million civilians by March 2020. HTS-led defenses, supported by Turkish observation posts under the process, repelled further advances, culminating in a March 5, 2020, that stabilized frontlines and preserved SSG control over core territories housing about 3 million residents. These offensives imposed severe strains, including destruction and humanitarian crises, yet the SSG demonstrated resilience by maintaining structures and adapting policies to mitigate blockade-induced shortages, such as through cross-border trade networks. By October 2022, HTS exploited infighting among Turkish-backed factions to expand westward into , securing additional territory previously captured by in 2018 and incorporating it under SSG administration by early 2023. This move, involving the absorption of local councils, boosted SSG's territorial footprint to roughly 10,000 square kilometers but heightened tensions with , prompting diplomatic negotiations to avoid escalation. Leadership remained anchored under HTS commander Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, with technocratic adjustments in SSG ministries—such as appointing civilian experts for economic roles—to address effects from regime sanctions and limited international aid. Through 2023-2024, the SSG withstood sporadic regime probes and internal dissent, including protests over service gaps exacerbated by the February 2023 earthquake, which killed over 5,000 in and strained reconstruction efforts. Population levels in SSG-held areas stabilized at 3-4 million, predominantly internally displaced persons, reflecting effective defensive postures against regime incursions despite economic isolation. These developments underscored the SSG's adaptive governance amid persistent military threats, prioritizing territorial defense and basic administration over ideological impositions.

Post-Assad Transition and Legacy as of 2025

Following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime on December 8, 2024, by a coalition including (HTS) and Turkish-backed (SNA) forces, the Syrian Interim Government (SIG)—which had administered northern territories since 2013—aligned with the HTS-dominated transitional government in under leader (formerly Abu Mohammad al-Jolani). This alignment preserved SIG's de facto authority in Turkish-occupied enclaves, including Afrin, , and Jarablus, where it continued providing essential services and security amid the national power vacuum. By March 2025, the transitional framework formalized under a Constitutional Declaration, incorporating opposition elements like those from the National Coalition (SIG's founding body) into a caretaker led initially by Mohammed al-Bashir as , enabling SIG structures to contribute to centralized governance efforts without full dissolution. Turkey's sustained military presence and diplomatic engagement, including high-level coordination with al-Sharaa, ensured SIG-retained areas avoided HTS direct control, prioritizing anti-PKK operations and refugee repatriation over immediate unification. SIG's legacy as of October 2025 centers on its demonstration of functional opposition administration—managing utilities, education, and local policing for over 2 million residents in northern zones—which informed transitional models referenced in UN Security Council discussions on inclusive governance and de-escalation. However, persistent tensions with the (SDF) undermined full integration; despite a March 2025 agreement for SDF forces to fold into interim institutions by year's end, sporadic artillery exchanges and skirmishes in and Deir Hafir continued into late 2025, exacerbated by Turkish-SDF hostilities. These frictions highlighted SIG's enduring reliance on , limiting its role in UN-facilitated national dialogues on , where broader factional reconciliation remained stalled.

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