Infighting between Turkish-backed factions in north Syria continues despite pleas by civilians, with most recently dozens of members of the civilian police resigning in response to a shootout with the military police that left two of its members wounded. Violent clashes erupted Feb. 22 between members of the civilian police …
Read More »Turkey’s Black Sea warning may impact Syria more than Ukraine
Turkey will limit the passage of Russian warships through its straits linking the Mediterranean and Black Sea as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues into its sixth day, in a move that will likely have a larger impact on the Syrian front than the war in Ukraine. The position became …
Read More »Australian ISIS terrorist is released from jail and thrown in immigration detention while Turkey figures out where to deport him to – but NO country will take him
An Australian-born Islamic State terrorist has been released from jail in Turkey but is stuck in immigration detention while he waits to see if any country will accept him. Melbourne-born Neil Prakash, who was raised a Buddhist, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison in March 2019. He was captured …
Read More »Free From Islamic State, Many Syrians Leave Raqqa
Raqqa, the former capital of the Islamic State (IS) and home to about 300,000 people, is now free. Yet many of its people want to leave. Those with property are trying to sell it to save up for the journey to Turkey. Those without money struggle to get by. At …
Read More »German Chancellor to Visit Israel Wednesday as War Rages in Europe
Olaf Scholz was meant to also visit Jordan and the West Bank, but has canceled those visits and will only be in the region for one day German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will arrive in Israel for a snap visit on Wednesday amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
Read More »Iraqi populist cleric Muqtada al-Sadr calls Russia-Ukraine war ‘absolutely useless’
Regional alignments solidify after the invasion of Ukraine, as Iraqi politicians call for peace while four-way collaboration on dealing with the Islamic State and border security continues with Russia, Iran and Syria. Hours after the news broke that Russia had begun an invasion of Ukraine at dawn on Feb, 24, …
Read More »Syrian jihadi group escalates campaign against foreign fighters in Idlib
While some believe that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is tightening the noose around foreign fighters in Idlib with the ultimate goal to expel them, others consider that it serves the interest of civilians in the city of Idlib. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s (HTS) security apparatus has recently warned the families of foreign …
Read More »Live updates: How Russia’s assault on Ukraine affects Middle East
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will have an impact beyond Europe. Follow along for the latest updates affecting the Mideast region. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the largest state-on-state conflict Europe has seen since World War II. But the war’s effects are not limited to the continent. Middle Eastern states have …
Read More »Turkish fintech seeks Qatari investment
The financial technology sector in Turkey has grown significantly, and is looking to Qatar for further expansion. Turkish fintech companies met with Qatari investors this week in a webinar. The Turkish presidency’s finance office organized the event along with the private Qatar Financial Center on Feb. 23-24, Turkey’s official Anadolu …
Read More »Erdogan stuck on fence in Ukraine crisis
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has chided NATO for failing to do more for Ukraine but remains averse to antagonizing Russia. Faced with a tough balancing act, Turkey has been sending mixed signals on its position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has angered Moscow by …
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