A man who serves as the spokesperson for the Turkish al-Qaeda network and has a long history of collaboration with Turkish intelligence agency MIT has stated that Syria’s victory signals the impending downfall of Israel, Spain and Arab states.
Abdullah Bozkurt/Stockholm - THE NORDIC MONITOR -- He acknowledged Turkey’s pivotal role in what he described as the revolution in Syria, while framing the conciliatory remarks made by the new jihadist leaders as astute political maneuvers to avoid the errors committed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
In an interview posted on his YouTube channel on December 22, Abdulkadir Şen — a radical figure who has evaded multiple terrorism investigations in Turkey — offered insights into the mindset of the jihadist group now controlling Damascus and much of Syria. He outlined predictions about global jihad’s evolving tactics, new targets and the pivotal role played by the Islamist government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in supporting and facilitating the jihadist campaign.
“The message of this [Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, HTS] revolution is directed at [Egypt’s President Abdelfattah] al-Sisi and Israel,” he declared, adding, “Afghanistan was the first, Syria is the second. From now on, we don’t know where it will be, but I say, ‘See you in the new revolution.'”
Şen predicted that the events in Syria would be replicated in other countries. “Revolutions are contagious,” he said, adding, “I believe that in the coming period, there could be movements in new places, starting with Yemen.”
Şen issued a warning to Jordan and Egypt, predicting a major conflict if they oppose the new rulers of Syria. He emphasized that both countries are already in a fragile position due to widespread dissatisfaction with their regimes among their populations. He further claimed that the recent developments in Syria were sparked by Hamas’s military actions against Israel and predicted that the Israeli government would ultimately have no choice but to engage in negotiations with Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammed al-Jolani) in Syria.
Şen’s remarks underscored al-Qaeda’s long-held aspirations to extend its campaign to Europe. Recalling his first Friday prayer at the iconic Umayyad Mosque in Damascus shortly after HTS seized control of the city, he noted that worshipers performed the Andalusian nasheed (song) following the prayer. “Not only Palestine, but eyes and minds were on [Spain’s] Andalusia as well. Imagine that. We lost Andalusia six, seven centuries ago, yet it still lingers in our minds,” he said, hinting at the symbolic significance of Andalusia when Spain was governed by Muslims in the group’s ideology.
Şen expressed his gratitude to the Erdogan government, stating, “If Turkey hadn’t intervened in this process [the Syrian conflict] in 2016 — by making agreements with Russia, sending troops, creating buffer zones, or conducting patrols — this revolution would have ended. If they hadn’t provided such strong support [to HTS and other jihadist groups], it would have been over.”
“If Turkey hadn’t been involved, this revolution would not have occurred. There is no doubt about this,” he emphasized, saying that the people he spoke with in Syria shared the same perspective.