Middle Orient

The latest developments, including:– Turkey moves to normalize with Assad government in Syria– Why Turkey needs Syria– The Kurdish question and the US– Turkey selling drones to Kazakhstan– The Russia-China-Turkey dynamic in Kazakhstan– Erdogan the opportunist– Turkey offers to evacuate wounded Ukrainian soldiers from Mariupol

An oil company run by the Iraqi Ministry of Oil alleged that the Kurdistan Regional Government’s forces took over some oil fields in the disputed northern province. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq has denied seizing oil fields in the disputed region of Kirkuk. On May 14, the North …

An oil company run by the Iraqi Ministry of Oil alleged that the Kurdistan Regional Government’s forces took over some oil fields in the disputed northern province. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq has denied seizing oil fields in the disputed region of Kirkuk. On May 14, the North …

Erdogan shakes up otherwise unified Western alliance on Ukraine war. Turkish President Recep Erdogan threatened to veto Finland and Sweden’s bid for NATO membership last week. Europe is at one of its most critical junctures in modern history as the West tries to consolidate its defense against Moscow after Russia’s …

As part of its countrywide counterterrorism operations, Turkey has arrested a suicide bomber allegedly linked to Daesh who was planning an attack in the southeastern province of Urfa, bordering Syria. Bashar Al-Mizhen, codenamed Abi Enes Al-Kathani, has confessed to the authorities. Mizhen, who joined Daesh in 2015 and received special …

Iran’s state TV on Tuesday confirmed the arrest of two French citizens, saying they met with protesting teachers and took part in an anti-government rally. The report identified the two as Cecile Kohler, 37, and Chuck Paris, 69, and said they were not on a tourist visit to Iran. France …

Amid speculation about a reduced US military commitment to security in the Middle East, Turkey has spotlighted the region’s ability to act as a disruptive force if its interests are neglected. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan set off alarm bells this week, declaring that he was not “positive” about possible …

The Iraqi Air Force killed three suspected ISIS militants in an airstrike on the country’s western Anbar province, the military’s Security Media Cell announced on Thursday. The strike killed three suspected ISIS members hiding in a tunnel believed to have served as a “hostel” for the group in Wadi Ashwa …

It was a sea of yellow as thousands of men, women and children waving Hezbollah flags and wearing the group’s trademark yellow caps rallied on a giant plot of land in the ancient eastern city of Baalbek in support of the heavily armed militant group. One after another, many attendees …

Turkey´s president on Monday complicated Sweden and Finland´s historic bid to join NATO, saying he cannot allow them to become members of the alliance because of their perceived inaction against exiled Kurdish militants. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan doubled down on comments last week indicating that the two Nordic countries´ path …