To achieve the formation of a new national army without risking a mutiny, Turkey has applied soft pressure on the different groups while punishing only the most independent-minded and disloyal among them.[7] The FSA units in the zone have accepted the Istanbul-based "Syrian Islamic Council" as religious authority.[4] TFSA fighters are paid salaries by the Turkish government, though the falling value of Turkish lira began to cause resentment among the TFSA by mid-2018. One fighter noted that "when the Turkish lira began to lose value against the Syrian pound our salaries became worthless".[5]