HOW GLOBAL PLAYERS PLAYED HARDBALL

The fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime on December 8 marked the end of a 13-year civil war that devastated Syria, claimed over 500,000 lives, and displaced millions.

The conflict, which drew in major global players, has left the world watching as Syria's political future takes shape.

Turkey: Turkey played a pivotal role, backing the Syrian National Army (SNA) to counter the Kurdish YPG militia, which it links to the PKK. Turkish forces also seized border territories from Kurdish-led groups and co-brokered a 2020 ceasefire in Idlib with Russia. Despite denying links to Islamist militants like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Turkey's involvement was crucial in the rebel offensive that toppled Assad.