Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin was in Damascus on Thursday, two sources with knowledge of the visit told Reuters, for what the Syrian information ministry said would be talks involving its new opposition leadership. The ministry said that Kalin and Qatar’s head of state security, Khalfan al-Kaabi, arrived in the …

The dramatic fall of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has sent shockwaves across the Middle East and beyond, marking the end of a 24-year rule and raising questions about the future of Iran’s regional influence. For over a decade, Syria has been a critical node in Tehran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance,” …

In most capitals across the Middle East, the news of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s fall sparked immense anxiety. Ankara is not one of them. Rather than worrying about Syria’s prospects after more than a decade of conflict, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sees opportunity in a post-Assad future. His optimism …