The Turkmen-Turkish Connection: The Alliance Between the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Turkmen Militias in Syria
Abstract
The rise of a pro-Turkish Sunni regime under Ahmad al-Sharaa in Syria, following the collapse of Assad’s regime in the second half of December 2024, strengthens Turkey’s position and advances its aspiration to become a regional power. Moreover, this development is perceived as part of the Nationalist Movement Party’s (MHP) vision to establish a Turkish entity extending from west to east, with pro-Turkish Turkmen militias in Syria playing a key role in realizing this vision, particularly the Hamza Division and the Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade.
The rise of a pro-Turkish Sunni regime under Ahmad al-Sharaa in Syria, following the collapse of Assad’s regime in the second half of December 2024, consolidates Turkey’s position and supports its ambition to become a regional power. Furthermore, this development is perceived as part of the Turkish Nationalist Movement Party’s (MHP) vision to establish a Turkish entity spanning from west to east, with pro-Turkish Turkmen militias in Syria playing a pivotal role in advancing this vision, particularly the Hamza Division and the Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade.
This study focuses on these two Turkmen militias and their leaders as a case study for the alliance between the Turkmen militias and the Nationalist Movement Party. These militias have benefitted from the political shift in Syria. Despite being designated as terrorist entities by the U.S. administration in August 2023, their leaders are expected to assume key positions in the new regime and promote a pro-Turkish agenda, which will primarily be detrimental to the Kurdish population in Syria.
Turkey and the Syrian National Army
In December 2017, Turkey established the Syrian National Army, an umbrella organization for 41 pro-Turkish militias based in Ankara. This initiative aimed to improve coordination with pro-Turkish militias in Syria in their fight against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria, ISIS, Assad’s forces, and other adversaries. The Turkish Ministry of Defense plays a central role in providing logistical, financial, and military support to the Syrian National Army, which includes several Turkmen militias that also receive significant backing from the MHP, particularly the Hamza Division and the Sultan Suleiman Shah Division.
The Hamza Division – Characteristics and Leadership
The Hamza Division originated as a militia named ‘Tawhid Brigade’ in the Aleppo region and later evolved into an organized brigade under the leadership of Yasser Abu al-Sheikh. Its members fought against ISIS operatives and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) under Turkish direction. Notably, during the December 2023 offensive against Assad’s forces, the Hamza Division established a war operations room named ‘Dawn of Freedom’ (Fajr al-Hurriya), which focused on combating Assad’s forces and, primarily, Kurdish forces in northern Syria.
The Hamza Division is led by Saif Boulad Abu Bakr, a Syrian of Turkmen ethnic origin born in Aleppo, who formerly served as an officer in Assad’s army. Following the outbreak of the Arab Spring in Syria, he defected from the army and joined the ‘Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Battalions’ militia, later moving to the Islamic militia ‘Liwa al-Tawhid.’ In mid-2013, he joined ISIS, establishing strong ties with senior officials in the organization and fighting against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria until late 2014. He even appeared in one of ISIS’s propaganda videos.
In 2015, Boulad left ISIS following the organization’s defeats and rejoined the Syrian rebel factions, this time as the commander of the ‘Al-Hazm’ militia. In 2016, he assumed leadership of the ‘Hamza Brigade’ following the assassination of its former commander, Yasser Abu al-Sheikh. Unverified reports suggest that in 2020, he recruited 500 Syrian fighters on behalf of the Turkish military to support Turkey’s campaign against Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In September 2021, he was appointed Deputy Commander of the Syrian National Army, a senior position reflecting the strong ties he cultivated with the Turkish leadership.
The Sultan Suleiman Shah Division – Characteristics and Leadership
Mohammad al-Jassem, known as Abu Amsha, leads the Sultan Suleiman Shah Division. A Syrian of Turkmen descent, he was born in 1985 and previously worked as a bulldozer driver. In late 2011, he founded an armed faction called the ‘Frontline Brigade’ within the Free Syrian Army. In 2015, Al-Jassem and his militia were forced to flee to Turkey due to intense clashes with members of Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda led by Mohammad al-Julani. In Turkey, the Ministry of Defense provided him with military training, leading to the establishment of the Sultan Suleiman Shah Division under his command. The brigade was named after the grandfather of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire.
Following the fall of Assad’s regime, Ahmad al-Sharaa (formerly Mohammad al-Julani) appointed Al-Jassem as head of the military unit in Hama.[3] Human rights organizations accuse Al-Jassem of committing human rights violations against the Kurdish minority in Syria. In 2018, the Kurdish Human Rights Organization of Afrin reported that Al-Jassem and his forces prevented Afrin’s Kurdish residents from cultivating their lands unless they surrendered 30% of their olive harvest. Like the Hamza Division, the Sultan Suleiman Shah Division has been accused of kidnapping young Kurds and demanding exorbitant ransoms ranging from $700 to thousands of dollars or seizing agricultural lands from the hostages’ families.[4] Al-Jassem’s relatives, including Walid Hussein al-Jassem, have also been accused of committing war crimes against Kurds.[5]
In February 2024, Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report documenting crimes committed by several factions within the Syrian National Army, including the Hamza Division and the Sultan Suleiman Shah Division, in northeastern Syria. The report detailed abductions, unlawful detentions (including of children), sexual abuse, torture, and looting. It also accused the Turkish government of being complicit in these crimes due to its sponsorship of these militias.[6]
Financial Gains and Illicit Activities
Kurdish opposition sources claim that Saif Boulad and Mohammad al-Jassem amass astronomical financial gains through arms smuggling and drug trafficking, particularly Captagon pills. Additionally, they profit from gold shops, money exchange offices, and real estate companies they own in Turkey.[7] The organization ‘Syrians for Truth and Justice’ revealed that Mohammad al-Jassem’s annual income exceeds $30 million.[8] Notably, Saif Boulad appointed his brother, Hamed Boulad, to oversee smuggling operations. Arab media described Hamed Boulad as an unstable individual who used and trafficked drugs. Ultimately, he was expelled from the militia due to problematic behavior. On September 3, 2019, he was killed in a civilian police shooting.
The Turkmen Connection: Alliance with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)
The Turkmen heritage of Saif Boulad and Mohammad al-Jassem plays a crucial role in their ties with the Turkish leadership, particularly with Devlet Bahçeli, a member of the Turkish parliament who leads the Nationalist Movement Party (Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi – MHP) and the ‘Grey Wolves,’ also known as the ‘Idealist Hearts‘ (Ülkü Ocakları), the militant wing of the movement. Bahçeli is also a key ally of President Erdoğan, assisting in consolidating his rule and passing AKP legislation.
The Nationalist Movement Party is a radical right-wing party with fascist, Islamist, and antisemitic elements, first established in 1969. Its military arm, the ‘Grey Wolves,’ has been designated a terrorist organization by several European countries, including Germany, Austria, and France, due to its history of political violence.[10] The party exhibits zero tolerance toward the Kurdish minority and seeks to suppress its national aspirations. On December 16, 2024, following the fall of Assad’s regime, Bahçeli demanded that Syria’s Kurds disarm and dissociate from the YPG and PKK militias.[11] On January 28, 2025, he condemned U.S. support for Kurdish armed groups in Syria and stated that if they did not disarm, Turkey would intervene directly in Syria, forcibly disarm them, and confront their supporting states.[12]
The MHP advocates for Turanism and Pan-Turkism, emphasizing connections with ethnic groups of Turkish linguistic and cultural heritage, such as Azerbaijanis, Uighurs, and Turkmens, with the goal of establishing a unified Turkish state stretching from the Balkans in the west to China in the east. In November 2021, Bahçeli even presented Erdoğan with a map depicting ‘Greater Turkey.’ The red-marked regions included Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan; the orange-marked regions encompassed parts of the Balkan Peninsula, portions of Iran, areas in southern Russia such as Crimea and Siberia, and western Mongolia; while the yellow-marked regions covered Altai, Yakutia, and the Xinjiang region of western China.[13]
From the MHP’s perspective, Turkey is seen as the guardian of Turkic peoples. This notion was evident in July 2015 when the ‘Grey Wolves‘ attacked Chinese businesses and assaulted Asian tourists in Istanbul in protest against China’s persecution of Uighur Muslims. However, the attackers also mistakenly targeted South Korean-owned businesses. Bahçeli later attempted to downplay the misidentification, attributing it to the perceived similarity in facial features among Asians.[14] This ideology also explains Bahçeli’s embrace of Syria’s Turkmen population.
The Turkmens are an ethnic group originating from Central Asia, particularly from regions such as Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and various Turkish cities. Since the 11th century, the Turkmens have migrated and expanded throughout the Middle East. With the Ottoman conquest of Syria in the 16th century, the Ottoman authorities encouraged Turkmen settlement in northern Syria to strengthen their control over the region. Under the Assad regimes, Turkmens in northern Syria suffered from discrimination and oppression. During the Syrian Arab Spring, the Turkmen minority actively participated in the struggle against Assad’s regime. In an interview with Al-Jazeera, Syrian fighters of Turkmen descent stated that they joined the Syrian army in response to the severe repression they faced, including bans on the Turkmen language and religious practices.[15]
From Bahçeli’s perspective, strengthening the Turkmen presence in Syria serves his Pan-Turkic vision. In July 2024, Saif Boulad, Mohammad al-Jassem, and Devlet Bahçeli met in Bahçeli’s office in Ankara to discuss developments in Syria. Boulad praised Bahçeli’s efforts on behalf of the Turkmens in Syria, describing him as the ‘spiritual father of the Turkmens.’[16] In December 2024, Boulad and Al-Jassem met with Bahçeli again, this time as victors following the collapse of Assad’s rule.[17]
Boulad and Jassem also maintain ties with a former member of the ‘Grey Wolves’ named Alaattin Çakıcı, who is known as the “leader of the Turkish mafia.” In July 2024, Çakıcı posted a photo on his Twitter account showing him dining with Boulad and Jassem on his yacht, alongside a caption stating that Turkey and Turks worldwide must support the struggle of the Turkmens.[18]
In 1981, Çakıcı was arrested on suspicion of murdering 41 people while being a member of the ‘Grey Wolves.’ He briefly worked for Turkish intelligence but became involved in crimes such as drug trafficking, the assassination of his ex-wife, and political assassinations targeting Kurdish businessmen, journalists, and other figures, for which he was imprisoned. In 2020, President Erdoğan granted him a pardon, reportedly due to pressure from his coalition partner, Devlet Bahçeli. Since his release, Çakıcı has threatened several Turkish politicians opposing the ruling AKP and MHP parties.[19]
Economic Sanctions
The involvement of members of the Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade and Hamza Division in human trafficking, extortion at border crossings, drug trade, and severe abuses against the Kurdish population in northeastern Syria led the U.S. to impose economic sanctions in August 2023 on the two pro-Turkish militias, Mohammad al-Jassem, his younger brother Walid Hussein al-Jassem, and Saif Boulad. They were accused of looting, kidnapping for ransom, torturing detainees, rape, and physical abuse.[20] Eighty-five Syrian organizations welcomed the U.S. decision and urged other countries, such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and the European Union, to impose similar sanctions.[21]
In 2020, the Syrian Human Rights Organization Afrin reported the release of two Kurdish women who had been kidnapped by the militia for two and a half years.[22] Even after the fall of Assad’s regime, reports continue to surface regarding the Hamza Division’s human rights violations against Kurdish civilians. For example, on February 4, members of the militia reportedly arrested Kurdish students in Aleppo, whose fate remains unknown.[23]
Conclusion
The alliance between the Turkish government, Devlet Bahçeli, and the Turkmen militias in Syria—particularly the Hamza Division and the Sultan Suleiman Shah Division—serves the interests of both sides. On one hand, it strengthens Turkey’s regional influence and fuels Bahçeli’s Pan-Turkic vision. On the other hand, it allows the Turkmen militia leaders to consolidate their political, economic, and military power in Syria. Given these ties, the militias’ involvement in combatting the Kurds in northeastern Syria can be seen as a direct result of Turkish influence.
The integration of these elements into Syria’s new regime requires monitoring, not only concerning their ongoing illegal activities against Kurdish civilians but also their involvement in illicit financial networks, particularly the drug trade. A deeper examination of their ties to criminal elements in Turkey is necessary to ensure that Syria does not become a fertile ground for organized crime and terrorism.
Ahmad al-Sharaa, the leader of Syria’s new regime, is attempting to build an image as a moderate ruler who has undergone a transformation—from being the head of al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch to the leader of a nationalist Islamic organization (Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham) advocating coexistence with Syria’s various communities, including Alawites, Druze, Kurds, and Christians. He has even met with representatives of these groups to portray himself as a leader for all Syrians. Given this, the international community should demand that he refrain from integrating individuals suspected of terrorism and criminal activities into his government in exchange for the legitimacy he seeks. However, it is likely that Turkey’s political pressure will outweigh such demands.
[1] Freedom Dawn Operation (in Arabic), Twitter account, December 1, 2024.
[2] Joint Forces’ News (in Arabic), Twitter account, August 24, 2024.
[3] “The Syrian Defense Ministry appoints ‘Abu Amsha’ as commander of the “Hama” division” (in Arabic), Enab Baladi, February 3. 2025. https://shorturl.at/UUAWB
[4] “Muhammad Al-Jassim ‘Abu Amsha’: Turkey’s Spoiled Child” (in Arabic), Suriya ala Tul, August 6, 2020. https://shorturl.at/Dl53U
[5] “What are the allegations against ‘Abu Amsha’, his brother, and ‘Abu Bakr’ that led to their inclusion on the US sanctions list?” (in Arabic), Tawthoq al-Intikaat, August 19, 2023. https://vdc-nsy.com/archives/64465
[6] “Everything is by the Power of the Weapon”, Human Rights Watch, February 29, 2024. https://www.hrw.org/report/2024/02/29/everything-power-weapon/abuses-and-impunity-turkish-occupied-northern-syria
[7] “Abu Amsha and Saif Bold, who are on the US sanctions list, meet with officials and mafia leaders in Turkey. “(in Arabic), Kurd Online, July 20, 2024. https://kurd.ws/?p=47027
[8] “The Syrian Defense Appoints ‘Abu Amsha’ as Commander of the ‘Hama’ Division (in Arabic), Enab Baladi, February 3, 2025. https://shorturl.at/UUAWB
[9] Muhammad al-Jasim, Twitter account, January 26, 2024.
[10] “Inclusion of Grey Wolves on EU terrorist list”, European Parliament, November 10, 2020. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2020-006101_EN.html
[11] “Devlet BAHÇELİ’s written press statement regarding ‘developments in Syria’ (in Turkish), MHP, December 16, 2024. https://shorturl.at/sz4nl
[12] “Chairman of the National Movement Party, Mr. Devlet Bahçeli. Speech delivered at the TBMM Group Meeting” (in Turkish), MHP, January 28, 2025. https://shorturl.at/AkVta
[13] MHP TBMM Grubu, Twitter account, November 17, 2021. https://x.com/MhpTbmmGrubu/status/1460942516417617935. Bahçeli presented the picture to Erdogan a few days after the eighth summit of the Cooperation Council for Turkic-speaking Countries. At the conference, Erdogan stressed the importance of pan-Turkic unity and called on everyone to recognize the independence of Turkish Northern Cyprus. Paul Antonopoulos, “Turkey propagates ‘Greater Turan’ map stretching from Balkans to China”, Greek City Times, November 23, 2021. https://greekcitytimes.com/2021/11/23/turkey-propagates-greater-turan/
[14] “MHP leader Bahçeli plays down attacks against Asian tourists in Istanbul”, Daily Sabah, July 9, 2015. https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2015/07/08/mhp-leader-bahceli-plays-down-attacks-against-asian-tourists-in-istanbul; “China-Turkey relationship strained over Uighurs”, BBC News, July 9, 2015. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-33440998
[15] “Syrian Turkmen: Fighting to Survive”, Al-Jazeera English’s Youtube, August 16, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWUx1Z95gLA
[16] “Bahçeli, MHP Chairman Receives Syrian Turkmen Delegation” (in Turkish), Haber7, July 18, 2024. https://www.iha.com.tr/ankara-haberleri/mhp-genel-baskani-bahceli-suriye-turkmen-heyetini-kabul-etti-100207323
[17] Seyf POLAT-Ebubekir, Twitter account, December 31, 2024.
[18] Alaattin Çakıcı, Twitter Account. July 17, 2024.
[19] Abdullah Bozkurt, “Mafia becomes a partner in Islamist and far-right alliance in the governance of Turkey”, Nordic Monitor, January 9, 2021. https://nordicmonitor.com/2020/12/mafia-becomes-a-partner-in-islamists-and-far-right-alliance-in-the-governance-of
[20] “Treasury Sanctions Two Syria-Based Militias Responsible for Serious Human Rights Abuses in Northern Syria”, United States Department of the Treasury, August 17, 2021. https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1699
[21] “85 Syrian Organizations Welcome the U.S. Treasury’s Sanctions against Two Syria-Based Armed Groups and Commanders”, Syrians for Truth & Justice, August 24, 2023. https://stj-sy.org/en/85-syrian-organizations-welcome-the-u-s-treasurys-sanctions-against-tw
[22] Afrin Human Rights Organization, Facebook account, February 7, 2025. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php/?story_fbid=865043997578886&id=482863525796937&locale=sq_AL
[23] Afrin Human Rights Organization, Facebook account, February 4, 2025. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0NZk9NmwEMhEGUNYtW2aMCLYCh6twLJFXFt2ePpRJxEuCSby2QKus5aatTSGShSsMl&id=100066924643596
[24] Sayf Boulad Abu Bakr, Twitter account, December 16, 2024.
