Key Syrian White Helmets Backer Found Dead in Istanbul

James Le Mesurier. (AFP file photo)
James Le Mesurier. (AFP file photo)
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Key Syrian White Helmets Backer Found Dead in Istanbul

James Le Mesurier. (AFP file photo)
James Le Mesurier. (AFP file photo)

The founder of an organization that trained the Syrian “White Helmets” emergency response group has died in Istanbul.

Anadolu Agency said James Le Mesurier's body was found early Monday near his home in Istanbul's Beyoglu district by worshippers on their way to a mosque to pray.

An investigation has been launched into his death, Anadolu said, adding that police believe he may have fallen to his death.

A security source told Reuters it was believed that Le Mesurier had fallen from the balcony of his home office and his death was being treated as a suspected suicide. A third person, a diplomat, said the circumstances around his death were unclear.

Police had established that no one had entered or left his home at the time of his death, Anadolu reported.

The White Helmets, known officially as Syria Civil Defense, have been credited with saving thousands of people in opposition-held areas during years of bombing by Syrian regime and Russian forces in the country’s war.

Mayday Rescue, a not-for-profit organisation, began its operations in 2014 and established an office in Istanbul in 2015 to support its Syria project. Its projects have been funded by the United Nations and various governments, its website said.

Mayday Rescue did not immediately respond to an emailed Reuters query about Le Mesurier.

A former British army officer, Le Mesurier was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth in 2016 for services to Syria Civil Defense and the protection of civilians in Syria.



Rubio Pledges to Consider Reviewing Terrorist Designations in Call with Syrian FM

 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at a press conference with the Indo-Pacific Quad alongside, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya (R) and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (L) at the State Department in Washington, DC, on July 1, 2025. (AFP)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at a press conference with the Indo-Pacific Quad alongside, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya (R) and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (L) at the State Department in Washington, DC, on July 1, 2025. (AFP)
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Rubio Pledges to Consider Reviewing Terrorist Designations in Call with Syrian FM

 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at a press conference with the Indo-Pacific Quad alongside, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya (R) and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (L) at the State Department in Washington, DC, on July 1, 2025. (AFP)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at a press conference with the Indo-Pacific Quad alongside, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya (R) and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (L) at the State Department in Washington, DC, on July 1, 2025. (AFP)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledged to consider further action to review domestic and United Nations terrorist designations related to Syria in a call with that country's foreign minister on Thursday, the US State Department said in a statement.

Rubio discussed with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani previous US moves to remove sanctions on Syria, and pledged to maintain sanctions on “malign actors,” including Bashar al-Assad, his associates, and others who threaten Syrian and international security, said a State Department statement.

Rubio hoped that “together, these steps will mark the beginning of a new chapter for both the Syrian people and US-Syria relations.”

The officials also discussed other matters of shared concern, including countering terrorism, Iran, Israel-Syria relations, and destroying any remnants of the Assad regime’s chemical weapons program, added the statement.