Efficient governance may bring stability, yet it can also clear the way for a familiar authoritarian rhythm. Whether this model will work, and who still cares about democracy in this landscape, remain open questions. open.substack.com/pub/ezgibasa...

His shift from jihadist commander to political actor is less abrupt than it appears and mirrors a broader evolution in Islamist praxis, where survival pushes movements toward statecraft.

A similar diffusion is now visible in Damascus as al-Sharaa and al-Shaibani draw on this template, since legitimacy now flows through development, service and the ability to govern.

May the force be with all the patriots around the world who fights against such men and their clientelist networks inşallah. open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p...

This is the bleakest portrait he has drawn of his country. It also carries a sharp resonance for anyone living in places run by the same profit-making grift grafters as presidents and prime ministers.

The final scene: a real video showing Trump spraying Sharaa and al-Shaibani with Victory 47 – For Men cologne, priced at $249. I preferred the AI video of rhinos in Istanbul. At least that one made sense.
open.substack.com/pub/ezgibasa...

Israel is increasingly alarmed by Turkey’s widening footprint. From Gaza talks to Syrian reconstruction to Rafah’s tunnels, Ankara is offering Trump something he really likes: delivery and fixing.

The Americans are now watching a quiet competition: Damascus and the SDF both courting CENTCOM. One day Abdi publicises a helicopter meeting; the next day al-Shaibani posts a video of Brad Cooper playing basketball with Sharaa.

Another winner is Erdoğan. His FM Hakan Fidan joined the Sharaa–Trump meeting. The presence of a third country in a decision-making process of this scale is rare. It signals trust that would unsettle both Israel and the SDF.

Ahmad al-Sharaa’s visit to Washington was much like a coronation. He left the White House as a recognised actor in the “biggest game in town.”

Too many tributes. Too many comparisons. Too many convenient stories. All eyes remain on these two men — and theirs, in turn, on each other. Full analysis: open.substack.com/pub/ezgibasa...

Within Turkey, Fidan and Kalın’s rivalry has long been whispered about — from policy disagreements on the Kurdish peace process to competing networks within the state.

hese alternating narratives are not random. They are instruments of influence. Israeli intelligence and its affiliated media use reputations as tools — shaping how power is perceived inside Turkey’s ruling elite.

Israeli media once portrayed Fidan as Tehran’s man, later as an Islamist hardliner. Kalın, by contrast, is now being praised as a sophisticated statesman, a friend of Israel, even Erdoğan’s possible successor.

My piece: open.substack.com/pub/ezgibasa... and the podcast: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t... @rory-stewart.bsky.social @alastaircampbell2.bsky.social

The habits of power on display in Sharm el-Sheikh belong to the same architecture that keeps Gaza under siege. Everything connects. open.substack.com/pub/ezgibasa...

Before arriving, he had praised Netanyahu; here, he extended the same favour to Sisi and Erdoğan. The consequences will follow. This ritual of legitimising and whitewashing corruption and authoritarianism ensures their survival, suffocating what little opposition remains in these countries.