Last week’s agenda in Türkiye was busy, as usual. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech assessing rising global tensions and Türkiye’s position in it. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan issued a pointed warning over developments in Iran. And the official minutes from a meeting between jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and MP were released. Erdoğan: Türkiye is one of the ...
On January 15, the Syrian army first launched a major operation in the west of the Euphrates River, forcing the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to withdraw to the east of the River. The Syrian army then took control of Deir ez-Zor, the region home to Syria’s largest oil and natural gas fields, and Raqqa, a city that ISIS had once ...
The map in Syria has changed. The PKK/SDF, backed by the US for decades, has been forced to pull out of key strategic positions it has been controlling in northern Syria following a military operation launched by the Damascus government. Control over oil fields, border areas, and fertile agricultural land has now shifted to Damascus. So what happened? Why did ...
Syria experienced days of intense fighting that ended on Tuesday with a preliminary agreement, which could determine the country’s administrative future. It all began in two neighborhoods of the city of Aleppo. After the evacuation of the civilian population and clashes, the armed groups belonging to the Syrian Democratic Forces had to retreat east of the Euphrates River. For Ünal ...
Last week in Türkiye, developments in Syria topped the political agenda. Operations launched by the Syrian government against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which Ankara designates as a terrorist organization, were met with a positive response in the Turkish capital. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s remarks on the US, emphasizing alliance relations, was another major topic. Developments in Iran also featured ...
By Adem Kılıç, Political scientist Those clinging to the wings of US aircraft at Kabul Airport in Afghanistan, trying to ‘escape’, were not only a symbol of defeat, but also of the price of misplaced alliances. And today, the same scene has been re-enacted in Syria, specifically in Aleppo. The only thing that changed was the geography and the fact ...
Last week, at the top of Türkiye’s agenda was large-scale operations against ISIS and an armed clash that broke out during an operation in the district of Yalova. Another important item in the agenda was statements by Feti Yıldız, Deputy Chair of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), regarding developments in Syria. The expanding investigations into drug trafficking and illegal betting ...
By Adem Kılıç, Political Scientist The spectacle staged by Trump in Egypt approximately two months ago and presented as the ‘peace of the century’ propaganda never made a realistic contribution to Israel’s military objectives in Gaza. Furthermore, despite the terms of the agreement, the people of Gaza have continued to be deprived of humanitarian aid over the past two months, ...
By Adem Kılıç, Political Scientist Over a year has passed since the chaotic environment of the Syrian civil war, which lasted more than a decade, and the collapse of the Assad regime. Throughout this process, Türkiye has stood firm against both Assad’s massacres and the policies of Russia, a supporter of Assad, as well as the policies of the US, ...
Last week in Türkiye, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Turkmenistan, new developments in the “Terror-Free Türkiye” process, and statements by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on international issues with a particular focus on Palestine, made up the top topics. Erdoğan in Turkmenistan President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the “International Forum of Peace and Trust”, organized to mark the 30th anniversary ...
The March 10, 2025, agreement between the SDF and the Damascus government included provisions on overcoming religious and sectarian divisions, officially recognizing the Kurds and securing their constitutional and citizenship rights and establishing a ceasefire across all of Syria. Regarding the country’s territorial and administrative structure, the most important article concerned the integration of the region under SDF control and ...
The Syrian government joins the international coalition against ISIS. What concrete consequences will this decision have for the fight against Zionism? Experts from have from Türkiye have a critical assessment of the step. The decision was announced during the visit of Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa to Washington. Its focus is on legitimizing the new regime, says Ünal Atabay, former ...