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.
P.S.:
Also disagree on this Saudi guy (as with 99.9 % of Saudis).
Lying savages the lot of em, who think they own the West (to a degree that is sadly correct)...