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Escalating Disputes Between Muslim Brotherhood Abroad Impede Reconciliation Attempts

The disputes between the Muslim Brotherhood’s Istanbul and London branches witnessed a “significant escalation”, after the organization’s “General Shura Council” formed a committee to assume leadership functions. (Reuters file photo)
The disputes between the Muslim Brotherhood’s Istanbul and London branches witnessed a “significant escalation”, after the organization’s “General Shura Council” formed a committee to assume leadership functions. (Reuters file photo)
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Escalating Disputes Between Muslim Brotherhood Abroad Impede Reconciliation Attempts

The disputes between the Muslim Brotherhood’s Istanbul and London branches witnessed a “significant escalation”, after the organization’s “General Shura Council” formed a committee to assume leadership functions. (Reuters file photo)
The disputes between the Muslim Brotherhood’s Istanbul and London branches witnessed a “significant escalation”, after the organization’s “General Shura Council” formed a committee to assume leadership functions. (Reuters file photo)

The disputes between the Muslim Brotherhood’s Istanbul and London branches witnessed a “significant escalation”, after the organization’s “General Shura Council” formed a committee to assume leadership functions, and removed Ibrahim Munir from his position.

Over the past weeks, the Muslim Brotherhood saw a recurring struggle to resolve the “battle of managing the organization” abroad, between the branches in Istanbul and London.

The Istanbul Front, led by Mahmoud Hussein, the former secretary general of the organization, announced the dismissal of Munir, who leads the London Front, as the Brotherhood’s acting guide.

In a statement on Friday, the Istanbul Front said that its “General Shura Council” decided to form a temporary committee from among its members, to carry out the tasks of the “General Guide” for a period of six months. The new committee members would be announced at a time specified by the council.

According to the statement, “the committee started its work, and announced the designation of Mustafa Tolba as its official representative.”

Commenting on the developments, Amr Abdel Moneim, a researcher in fundamentalist affairs in Egypt, noted that the latest announcement by the Shura Council confirmed “the failure of all attempts to heal the rift within the organization.”

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Abdel Moneim said: “The organization is now witnessing a state of uncertainty, lack of clarity of vision, confusion, data war, and internal rift.”

Disputes between the Istanbul and London fronts deepened after Munir announced the dissolution of the Administrative Office for Organization Affairs in Turkey, and the dismissal of Mahmoud Hussein and others. The crisis further escalated with Hussein’s announcement of Munir’s dismissal from his post.

The Shura Council’s decisions were preceded by a conference held in Turkey, which saw an agreement to form a committee to support the new acting leader.

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Ankara: Assad Does Not Want Peace in Syria

Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
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Ankara: Assad Does Not Want Peace in Syria

Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has stated that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is unwilling to pursue peace in Syria and warned that Israel’s efforts to spread war across the Middle East are undermining the environment fostered by the Astana Process.

Fidan emphasized the importance of Russian and Iranian efforts within the framework of the Astana Process to maintain calm on the ground, pointing to ongoing consultations with the US regarding the Syrian crisis.

Speaking during a parliamentary session discussing the 2025 budget of the Foreign Ministry, Fidan reiterated Türkiye’s expectation that the dialogue proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be approached strategically by the Syrian government, with priority given to the interests of the Syrian people.

Regarding Erdogan’s invitation to Assad for a meeting to discuss the normalization of ties between Ankara and Damascus, Fidan remarked that the matter depends on political will, stressing that the Turkish president has demonstrated his readiness at the highest level.

Last week, Erdogan reiterated the possibility of a meeting with Assad, but Russia, which mediates the normalization talks between Ankara and Damascus, ruled out such a meeting or high-level engagements in the near future.

Russian Presidential Envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev attributed the impasse to Türkiye’s refusal to meet Damascus’ demand for a withdrawal from northern Syria, accusing Ankara of acting as an “occupying state”.

Although Türkiye has not officially responded to Lavrentiev’s comments, which reflect a shift in Russia’s stance, Fidan stated in a televised interview last week that Russia remains “somewhat neutral” regarding the normalization process. He also urged the Syrian government to create conditions for the return of 10 million Syrian refugees.

Türkiye maintains that its military presence in northern Syria prevents the country’s division, blocks the establishment of a “terror corridor” along its southern border, and deters new waves of refugees from entering its territory.

Fidan outlined his country’s key objectives in Syria, which include eradicating terrorist groups (such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the Syrian Democratic Forces), preserving Syria’s territorial unity, advancing the political process, and ensuring the safe and voluntary return of Syrian refugees.

Meanwhile, Turkish artillery targeted villages and positions controlled by the Manbij Military Council, affiliated with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), whose main component is the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

On Friday, fierce clashes erupted between the Syrian National Army factions and the SDF in western Tel Abyad, northern Raqqa. Simultaneously, Turkish artillery strikes reportedly killed two SDF members and injured others, with reports of captives and missing personnel.

In retaliation, the SDF shelled Turkish bases in the Ain Issa countryside. Turkish forces responded by deploying military reinforcements amid heightened alert at their bases in Raqqa’s countryside, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).