Middle Orient

Turkey’s Islamist strongman, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, appears to be on yet another hoax charm offensive: he is faking the restoration of diplomatic relations with Israel and Egypt, and even signalling peace with President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria. He needs to look pretty to his Middle East nemeses to …

On March 22 of 2021, several of the world’s most dangerous men descended on Beirut’s historic seaside Summerland Hotel — not to swim in the Mediterranean or explore the sumptuous resort’s “Le Beach Pop Up,” but to talk Turkey.   The meeting was a secret one, between a delegation of senior Iranian …

The ongoing unrest in Iran since mid-September following the death of a Kurdish woman in police custody shows no signs of abating as of now. The unrest has drawn support from all social strata and assumed anti-government overtones. The efficacy of suppressing the unrest is doubtful. Iran is entering a …

Speaking ahead of the Finnish defense chief’s visit to Turkey, the top Turkish diplomat has complained that his country is still under de facto defense sales restrictions from Finland. Finland has yet to lift arms embargoes against Turkey, a pledge that both Stochkholm and Helsinki made under a deal paving …

Mevlut Cavusoglu has stepped up rhetoric over Aegean islands that Ankara says should be free of Greek arms. Turkey’s feud with neighbor and fellow NATO member Greece resurfaced Tuesday as Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu threatened to “do whatever is necessary” unless Athens reverses the militarization of its islands off the …

This is the second such visit in the past ten days, according to Athr Press. At a time when Moscow is again trying to negotiate with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to reach an understanding that saves its areas from any Turkish military action in northern Syria, the commander of …

Türkiye only coordinates with its allies, Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın said on Sunday, according to the Daily Sabah. Türkiye does not seek permission for its security operations in Syria, and it only coordinates with its allies, Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın said on Sunday. “We won’t seek anyone’s consent when faced …

The regime is only willing to recognize some of the cultural rights of Kurds in Syria, according to Shaam Network. On Monday, Kurdish sources reported the Assad regime’s refusal to recognize the Autonomous Administration during meetings in Damascus between the two parties under Russian auspices. The sources said that the …

According to the Pentagon, joint operations are still active but at a reduced level The US-backed Kurdish militia, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), reaffirmed on 2 December that it has halted all joint “counter-terrorism” operations with Washington’s military coalition in Syria in protest against Ankara’s bombing campaign. “All coordination and …

A conflict of interest between Ankara and Washington over Syria will likely see the two drift apart, with Turkiye aligning more closely with Eurasian powers. The series of airstrikes against Kurdish militants in northern Syria by Turkish jets in the past week come amid heightened concerns over Ankara’s threat to …