After backing the anti-government forces who overthrew Bashar al-Assad and brokering a key Horn of Africa peace deal, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan has boosted his international standing, leaving him well-placed to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, analysts say. Although Turkey was not directly involved in the Syrian strongman’s overthrow, it has long maintained a working relationship with the HTS forces behind the push, leaving it with a direct line to Damascus as other governments fret over the group’s Al-Qaeda roots. For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Erdogan was jubilant as the opposition forces stormed Damascus, and just days later, his spy chief Ibrahim Kalin became the first high-profile figure to visit HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, who now goes by his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa. The same week, Erdogan scored another diplomatic coup by brokering the end of a bitter year-long dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia.In another