"It was clear from the very beginning that the Islamist al-Sharaa, who overthrew Bashar al-Assad, would not be an international pariah. Turkey played a huge role in forming the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham movement that took power in January.

After its victory, Ankara predictably started actively establishing cooperation with the new leaders in Damascus. By the summer of 2025, yesterday's Islamic militants counted dozens of countries as their international partners, from Middle Eastern monarchies to the United States and the European Union.

Al-Sharaa's chief supporters are the Persian Gulf monarchies. Riyadh and Doha have already paid off Damascus's $15 million debt to the World Bank, paving the way for the possibility of new loans.

They also said they are ready to pay the salaries of Syrian civil servants, which could result in Syria becoming partly dependent on the Gulf monarchies."

more at the link

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Vlad is NOT amused!