US Secretary of State [Antony Blinken](https://www.newarab.com/news/blinken-heads-middle-east-gaza-ceasefire-push) heads Wednesday on an emergency tour after the overthrow of [Syria's](https://www.newarab.com/news/jolani-says-no-more-war-syria-sdf-retreat-east) dictatorship, in a new, last-minute attempt to shape a Middle East legacy after a turbulent year.
The top US diplomat of President Joe Biden, who has little more than one month in office, is set to press principles he has outlined for a new government including that it be inclusive of Syria's diverse populations.
Blinken will head first to the Red Sea port of Aqaba in Jordan, a key US partner in the region, before going to Turkey, the main supporter of the rebel group that toppled Bashar al-Assad over the weekend.
Blinken will stress "the United States' support for an inclusive, Syrian-led transition to an accountable and representative government," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
He will call for a Syria that is not "a base of terrorism or posing a threat to its neighbors" -- a nod to concerns of both Turkey and Israel, which has ramped up strikes on its historic adversary since Assad's fall.
Turkey, despite being a NATO ally, has long butted heads with the United States over Syria but is now seen as the key foreign power after its partner Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), launched a surprise lightning offensive that ended half-a-century of iron-fisted rule by the Assad family.
**Calls for an inclusive government**
In a statement on Tuesday, Blinken called for a "credible, inclusive and non-sectarian" government to replace Assad, a secular-minded member of the minority Alawite sect.
"All nations should pledge to support an inclusive and transparent process and refrain from external interference," Blinken said.
"The United States will recognise and fully support a future Syria government that results from this process," he said.
It will be the 12th visit to the Middle East by Blinken since October 7, 2023, when Israel launched its deadly war on Gaza which has killed over 44,800 Palestinians.
Despite repeatedly smelling success, Blinken has been met with frustration as he failed to secure a deal in which Israel would end the war in return for the release of captives.
Blinken on his trip will also stress "the urgent need to conclude a ceasefire agreement," Miller said.
**US interests in Syria**
Biden, under fire for his Middle East policy and failure to secure an Israel-Hamas deal, has sought credit after the fall of Assad.
"Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East," Biden said, pointing to a combination of support for partners, diplomacy, sanctions and periodic US strikes in Syria separately targeting Iranian-linked groups.
President-elect Donald Trump similarly cast Syria in political terms, pointing out that Russia made inroads under former president Barack Obama.
In contrast to Biden and Blinken, Trump has scoffed at US interests in Syria, where some 900 US troops remain on a mission against the Islamic State, calling the country "a mess" to be avoided.
It will be up to Trump, who has a close relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to determine how to deal with HTS.