Syrian Democratic Turkmen Movement
The Syrian Democratic Turkmen Movement (; ) is one of the two major opposition movements of Syrian Turkmens. Headquartered in Istanbul, it emerged in March 2012 from a split inmidst the foundation phase of the Syria Turkmen Bloc, which is the other major Syrian Turkmen movement. Since another regrouping in December 2012 drove many of its more prominent members back to the Syria Turkmen Bloc, the Syrian Democratic Turkmen Movement now focusses on its stronghold in Aleppo province, where it is considered to have some leverage within the Turkmen parts of civil society. It however cooperates with the Latakia and Bayır-Bucak-focussed Bloc in the Syrian Turkmen Assembly. The Movement is a member of the Syrian National Council and is represented in the Syrian National Coalition. Militarily, it is allied with Ali Basher's Aleppo branch of the Syrian Turkmen Brigades. History In November 2011, Bekir Atacan's Syrian Turkmen Group, an organization of prominent and exile Syrian Turkmen, and Ali Öztürkmen's more street- and networking-affine Syrian Turkmen Movement had joined forces to form the Syria Turkmen Bloc. Atacan and Öztürkmen were already appointed the first chairman resp. deputy chairman. Prior to the Blocs official establishment on 15 February 2012, the two leaders