Syrian rebels seek relevance by joining Turkey’s offensive

FILE - This Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 file photo, Turkey-backed opposition fighters of the Free Syrian Army secure a checkpoint at the village of Maarin, on the outskirts of the northwestern city of Azaz, Syria. Beaten by the government and squeezed by al-Qaida, many of Syria's rebels have put themselves under Turkey's wing to battle Kurdish forces, trying to find a path back to relevance in Syria's messy and multi-sided civil war. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, File) FILE - This Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 file photo, Turkey-backed opposition fighters of the Free Syrian Army secure a checkpoint at the village of Maarin, on the outskirts of the northwestern city of Azaz, Syria. Beaten by the government and squeezed by al-Qaida, many of Syria's rebels have put themselves under Turkey's wing to battle Kurdish forces, trying to find a path back to relevance in Syria's messy and multi-sided civil war. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, File)

By Associated Press February 8, 2018 1 min read

BEIRUT (AP) – Beaten by the government and outgunned by al-Qaida, thousands of rebels have joined Turkey to battle a U.S.-aligned Kurdish militia that controls large stretches of the Syrian-Turkish frontier.

The alignment reveals the degree to which Syria’s opposition depends on Ankara to survive and how far they’ve strayed from their aspiration to overthrow the government in Damascus.