Turkey is asserting itself as the main player in the shaping of Syria¡¯s future, sending a top official to Damascus and restarting diplomatic relations after more than a decade.
Ibrahim Kalin, the head of the Turkish intelligence agency, made a symbolic visit to the landmark Umayyad Mosque in the Syrian capital on Thursday, surrounded by crowds. On Sunday, rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, previously known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, delivered a victory speech marking the overthrow of former President Bashar Assad at the same mosque.
Turkey has a strong incentive to help forge a stable and peaceful Syria out of the ruins of the Assad regime, not least because the country hosts at least 3 million refugees from its southern neighbor. Turkish companies would also stand to benefit if and when postwar reconstruction starts. Turkey¡¯s own ruling party hails from the country¡¯s Islamist movement, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been a supporter of similar parties in the region.
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