Ankara, Turkey. Turkey’s intelligence agency asked Britain’s MI6 last month to take a larger role in protecting Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa following reported assassination plots, according to five people familiar with the matter.
Request to MI6 and regional context
The request comes as foreign allies seek to bolster Syria amid sporadic violence 15 months after the overthrow of president Bashar al-Assad, with the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran adding to regional instability.
Sources said allies view Sharaa as important to preventing a return to sectarian fighting or civil war after 14 years of conflict that drove millions of refugees abroad and enabled Islamic State to control large areas of Syria.
Islamic State threats and security concerns
The sources cited rising anxiety over a series of reported Islamic State plots to kill Sharaa. The militants last month stepped up attacks on military and security personnel across Syria and declared Sharaa, a former rebel, their “number one foe”.
It was unclear what Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization, or MIT, specifically asked of MI6, or what new role, if any, MI6 had taken up.
International backing and sanctions changes
Turkey, Britain and the United States last year backed Sharaa in efforts to reunite and rebuild Syria, which has a population of 26 million. London and Washington have scrapped most sanctions on Syria and on Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group Sharaa once led.
Responses from officials
The sources, including Syrian and foreign officials, spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. MIT, the Turkish foreign ministry, Britain’s foreign office, and Syria’s defence and interior ministries did not respond to requests for comment.
What impact do you think increased foreign involvement in Sharaa’s security could have on Syria’s stability?
