Middle Orient

Turkey Warns It's Ready for Strike Against Syrian YPG

Turkey claims its military preparations for a cross-border operation into Syria against a Kurdish militia are complete. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar made the announcement Tuesday. “When the time comes, the necessary actions will be taken both in Manbij and east of the Euphrates,” Akar said during a visit to …

Read More »

Turkey: Imprisoning Dissidents while Bidding for EU Membership

At a rally in Ankara over the summer, held by the women’s branch of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced: "From now on, there will be no fight for freedom of faith, freedom of thought and freedom of opinion. Everyone will be free …

Read More »

SYRIA – What for the Kurds now?

Kurds are to be awarded to the Turkish Security Services for their Brilliant Operations undertaken since early November 2018. We saw the reactions around the world regarding the horrific murder of the Saudi writer for the Washington Post Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. This event presented an …

Read More »

Fratricide in rebel movements: A network analysis of Syrian militant infighting

Violent conflict among rebels is a common feature of civil wars and insurgencies. Yet, not all rebel groups are equally prone to such infighting. While previous research has focused on the systemic causes of violent conflict within rebel movements, this article explores the factors that affect the risk of conflict …

Read More »