Is the new leader of Syria a stooge?

 

İbrahim Kalın is the Director of the Turkish
National Intelligence Organization (MIT)

Arabs love to gossip about everything from the weather to what’s going on in our crazy world – and you may not read it in a newspaper in Beirut, Damascus, Amman, Riyadh, or for that matter in Ankara and or the sidewalk cafés of Istanbul, Jerusalem, or Islamabad in Pakistan.

Regardless of being a Jew, Christian, or Muslim, they are all silently asking one question who does Ahmed al-Sharaa work for?

Who pulls the strings of the so-called new leader of Syria, is he a CIA or MOSSAD, stooge?

Several individuals from within the intelligence community have pointed the finger at one country in particular that has an “overriding” national security interest in courting al-Sharaa, who is also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, that country is Türkiye which shares a 510-mile border with Syria, presently hosting nearly 4 million Syrian refugees - Turkish influence has grown significantly in the post-Assad Syria which backed up that influence with military might and armed intervention.

Turkey faces significant problems in contributing to the post-Assad transition in Syria, including potential tensions, especially with the claims of the PKK/YPG terrorist organization for autonomy, which could strain Turkey’s efforts.

Turkey must eliminate the Kurdish terror threat at whatever cost, it will do so with or without the new regime - which is why the appearance of İbrahim Kalın - X head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT), and Qatar's head of state security, Khalfan al-Kaabi, arrived in Damascus to meet with Syrian rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa and caretaker prime minister Mohammad al-Bashir on the 12^th of December, 2024.

MİT’s headquarters is nicknamed the "Kale," or Fortress, a complex that sits on 5,000 acres in the Bağlıca neighborhood of Ankara’s Etimesgut district, is surrounded by three-meter high concrete walls, barbed wire, and is fitted with a secretive security system against unauthorized access, infiltration, and wiretapping – they fear that the competing interests of Israel, Russia, Iran, and Western powers in Syria may hinder the establishment of a peaceful Syria along Turkey’s border.

Kale or The Fortress is built on a space of 5,000 acres in Ankara's Etimesgut district. (AA Photo)

I am led to believe that MİT is actively guiding Mr. al-Sharaa and keeping a watchful eye on the activities of other foreign agencies who have taken a very keen interest in Mr. al-Sharaa in particular and the newly established government.  

Mr. Kalin's visit was swiftly followed by that of Hakan Fidan - X (Foreign Minister) on the 22^nd of December, 2024 who met with Mr. al-Sharaa.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (L) and Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (R), attend a press conference after their meeting in Damascus, Syria, Dec. 22, 2024. (Turkish Foreign Ministry Press Office Handout via EPA)

I have spoken to several sources who have knowledge of Mr. Kalin’s visit and the exchanges that took place – Western sources have said that Mr. Kalin is an extremely capable director of MİT and is highly thought of within the intelligence community and is noted for his intelligence and dedication in fighting terrorism both external and domestic threats.

Turkish-backed Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), seeks to destroy the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is viewed as a Kurdish terrorist group by Turkey - although a Kurdish-led coalition partner of U.S.- backed militias and rebel groups, and serves as the military wing of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES); also unofficially known as Rojava – which has caused significant alarm in Turkey.  

The SDF is allied to and supplied by the UnitedStates - Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-led—OIR) international alliance which was founded on 10 October 2015, a multinational military formation established by the U.S.-led international coalition against the Islamic State with the stated aim of "degrading and destroying" the organization - it has 87 partners.

Led by the United States Army Central (ARCENT), it is composed of military forces and personnel from over 30 countries.

The SDF is a terrorist group that is opposed by Turkey which views the group as a wing of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is a designated terrorist group in Turkey, the EU, NATO, the U.S., Canada, Japan, Iran, Australia, UK and New Zealand and Israel.

I suspect in the days, weeks, and months coming we will be hearing a lot more from Mr. Kalin and Turkey's military operations in Syria.

The only good terrorist is a dead one….