Turkey’s President Erdogan Claims He and Putin are the Only Leaders Left
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made comments that are likely to anger his Western allies in NATO, stating that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin are the only two leaders left on the world stage. Erdogan made the remarks on Monday, following the removal of Bashar al-Assad from power in Syria by Turkish-backed rebels and the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group.
The city of Manbij in northern Syria was taken from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) by Turkish-backed rebels, who say they are working to ensure that Kurdish groups do not play a substantial role in Syria’s future. Erdogan has faced pressure due to the 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, and it is expected that many will return to their home country following the downfall of Assad.
Despite Erdogan’s praise of Putin, the fall of Assad is seen as a blow to the Russian President. Assad’s brutal oppression sparked the civil war in Syria, and Russian airstrikes played a crucial part in keeping him in power. Iran-backed Hezbollah also helped Assad, but with Russia distracted in Ukraine and Hezbollah reeling from its war with Israel, Syrian rebel forces were able to launch a surprise offensive and take numerous cities in recent days.
The HTS group, led by former Al Qaeda militant Abu Muhammed al Jolani, was able to quickly reach Damascus last week. Many in Syria celebrate the downfall of Assad, but many are also trying to rescue prisoners trapped inside the notorious Sednaya prison near Damascus. The prison, described as a “human slaughterhouse” by Amnesty International, has been subject to numerous human rights abuses, including torture and executions.