Agreed, except Ataturk... granted he was a secularist modernizer was also extremely anti-Christian and pretty much hostile to any non-Turk (except Jews). He brutally slaughtered thousands of Greek, Armenians, Kurds and Alevites and forced all minoities into total self-denial in order to create a faux-homogenous “Turkish nation”. He could have achieved a modernist regime without these continued excesses that are still having repercussions.
I would include Assad into the list of stabilizing forces. One can argue about many aspects of his rule, but he protects minorities and prevents a radical Sunni regime.
Now, they are our only friends there. PLUS there are now THREE U.S. air bases in the Kingdom.
https://militarybases.com/saudi-arabia/
http://fpif.org/u-s-empire-bases-middle-east-not-making-anyone-safer/
THOUSANDS of Americans work there. If they work for Saudi ARAMCO (renamed in 1980) they get a tax break from the IRS: no federal income tax on the first $80,000.00 earned from Saudi ARAMCO. There HAS to be a "carrot" to get Americans to work in that God-forsaken dust-bowl.
Remember, the Saudis KICK OUT their disruptive aholes. Osama bin Laden was KICKED OUT even though his family was wealthy and powerful. If he had ever been stupid enough to return to his homeland...an executioner was awaiting the opportunity to say: OFF WITH HIS HEAD.
I know it's sickening for Americans to think of US being "friends" with the Saudis, but there it is. Those first petroleum deals [with American oil companies], back in the 1920's, were settled with a handshake. Had to be since 99% of the Saudis back then were illiterate. Not so now, of course, as they made literacy a priority.
They also hire Jews...but only AMERICAN Jews. Had to. I met a lovely woman who was an American Jewish physical therapist...for the Saudi women.
And, when Lebanon was preoccupied with its civil war, ARAMCO got its fresh flowers from Israel. I SAW the boxes of flowers arriving in the market with the unmistakable blue star of David right there on the boxes.
Sisi and the King of Jordan are alive now. I wish them safety and continued courage. My guess is most Turks of today know very little about Ataturk, or only in a greatly diminished historic role.