With Assad’s fall, Erdogan oversees Turkey’s growing regional clout

Of all the winners and losers from Syria’s sudden change of power, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stands out as among those with the most to gain.

Erdogan’s clout over his southern neighbor has increased dramatically with the fall of his onetime friend Bashar Assad, bolstering his political standing at home and in the international arena.

Erdogan is regarded as a hero by thousands of Syrian rebels who succeeded in overthrowing Assad with Turkey’s help — as well as by many among the millions of refugees who were given safe haven in Turkey when the Syrian war broke out in 2011.