The Situation in Northwest Syria: Interview with Abdussamed Dagül

Today’s interview guest on this newsletter is Abdussamed Dagül, who is of German-Turkish origin and has long worked in the realm of media in northwest Syria (Idlib and its environs) in the regions controlled by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and the Salvation Government. I have previously interviewed him in 2019 and in 2020 (once covering his life and the general situation in 2019, the second time covering the offensive on Idlib at the time by the Damascus government and its allies). Here we discuss the state of affairs in Idlib and its environs in 2022, focusing on the Salvation Government, the role of the Turkish army in Idlib and its environs, the contrast with the ‘Euphrates Shield’ and ‘Olive Branch’ areas and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s outreach to Western media and researchers.