Syria’s military operations administration announced on Wednesday January 29 the appointment of de facto leader, Ahmad al-Shara’a, as the country’s president for the transitional period.
Al-Shara’a acted as the leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and was known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, before he took over Syria following the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad on December 8, 2024.
Immediate reforms to the government and constitution
In addition to appointing Al-Shara’a as the new president, the administration also announced the repeal of the 2012 constitution, and the dissolution of the army, security agencies, the parliament, and the Baath Party, which was the ruling party during al-Assad’s era. All armed factions including HTS, were also officially disbanded.
On Monday, February 3, less than one week into his appointment, Al-Shara’a stated that it will take between four and five years to hold presidential elections. Al-Shara’a’s statement came one day after he began a tour in the West Asia region, with Saudi Arabia, a key ally to the United States, as his first stop.
The transitional leader’s international tour was only possible because the United States removed him from the terrorists list and lifted a USD 10 million reward for his arrest on December 20, 2024.
During his visit to the Saudi capital Riyadh, Al-Shara’a met Saudi crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman. Commenting on the meeting via Telegram, the Syrian interim president said that Saudi Arabia showed its commitment to supporting his country.
“We held a long meeting during which we felt and heard a genuine desire to support Syria in building its future,” he wrote.
On Tuesday, February 4, Al-Shara’a arrived in Türkiye, another key ally to the US in the region.
Military cooperation with Türkiye
According to media reports, Al-Shara’a is set to discuss a defense pact with his Turkish counterpart President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The pact includes the establishment of Turkish air bases in central Syria, and training for Syria’s new army, marking a potential long-term military cooperation between Türkiye and Syria.
While the rise of the HTS and its leader was seen by many as an end to the decades-long rule of Al-Assad and Baath Party in Syria, facts on the ground indicate that the country has become more prone than ever to the intervention of the United States and its allies: mainly Türkiye and Israel.
Syria’s increasing vulnerability to foreign interests
The US has maintained Al-Tanf military base, and a so-called “deconfliction zone” along Syria’s southwestern borders with Jordan and Iraq.
Meanwhile, Türkiye has deployed its troops near its border in northern Syria, claiming the territory as a “safe zone” while using it to launch attacks against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), who had deployed into the Syrian southern territories, have withdrawn from several key positions as of February 3.
Since Al-Assad was overthrown, mainstream media has worked relentlessly to reframe Al-Julani, who for decades was connected to Al-Qaeda and other groups previously designated by the US as terrorist organisations. These pro-US media outlets have crafted a new image for the leader, Al-Shara’a, portraying him as a political figure open to cooperating with the international community, with no intention of resisting Israel despite its repeated assaults on Syria.
