Syria
Terrorism
Washington targets Syrian conglomerate funding Iran and Houthis
On November 14 the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 26 companies, individuals, and vessels associated with the...
Europe & Eurasia
Recovery from the disaster of the century needs more than a few months of international assistance
Two devastating earthquakes hit the Turkish-Syrian border on February 6. The epicenter of the first 7.7 magnitude quake struck 34 kilometers west of Gaziantep,...
Disasters and Reconstruction Initiatives
Turkey-Syria earthquake relief efforts spawn new diplomatic initiatives
With rescue efforts continuing after a devastating 7.8 Richter earthquake that took place on the Turkey-Syria border on February 6, survivors are miraculously still...
Archive
Why it’s important to save the independent Kyiv Post
When I returned to Ukraine to work for the Kyiv Post, I had a vague plan to stay for three years. Two years of combing...
Albania
Greece again agrees to expand US defense cooperation
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias traveled to Washington October 13-14 to participate in a scheduled session of the US-Greece Strategic Dialogue, where he met...
Afghanistan
Will Central Asia serve as Europe’s bridge to Afghanistan?
Just over one month on from the fall of Kabul, Europe is still grasping for answers to the question of how to engage in...
Afghanistan
What are Turkey’s ambitions in Afghanistan after the US’ withdrawal?
After the United States finished its withdrawal from the two-decade war in Afghanistan on August 31, regional powers remain at work trying to understand...
Afghanistan
The West must apply the lessons of Afghanistan and Tunisia to Libya
Twenty years have now passed since 9/11. Since then, differing ideas of the importance of democracy in Middle Eastern policy have dominated the foreign...
Afghanistan
What next after 20 years of war in Afghanistan? Anatol Lieven on the U.S.’ legacy and the Taliban’s rise
On August 30, 2021, a C-17 transport plane took off from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, signaling the end of America’s longest war....
Afghanistan
Economic progress and political reforms give post-Soviet space reason to celebrate
On August 30th, Kazakhstan celebrated one of the country’s most important holidays—Constitution Day, which commemorates the adoption of the 1995 constitution which confirmed the...
Afghanistan
France has a generals problem: Why there’s a fray in civilian-military relations
The sensitive question of civilian control of the armed forces is one which Western democracies like the United States and France must continue to...
Afghanistan
Making sense of the Italy-UAE rift
Earlier this month the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ordered the withdrawal of all Italian aircraft and personnel from its Al Minhad Air Force Base...
Afghanistan
A broken migration system
Turkey and Greece are both transit countries for migrants on their way to Germany and wealthy destinations in northern Europe. Migrants are resilient. Many...
Analysis
A fiscal pandemic on the EU’s eastern border may eventually strike at the heart of Europe
The economic crisis in the European Union that was caused by the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has slowly started to subside after months...
Afghanistan
Turkey: A state sponsor of terrorism?
Turkey functions like a state-sponsor of terrorism (SST), fueling Islamist extremism domestically and deploying jihadist mercenaries to Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh. Listing Turkey as...
Analysis
Blinken reaffirms America’s focus on rebuilding partnerships
During his March 22-25 trip to Brussels, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized repeatedly that the Biden administration will work to rebuild America’s...
Analysis
Erdogan starts a political earthquake in Turkey
Significant developments are underway in Turkey. Most ominously, the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) has moved...
Archive
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and wife Asma test positive for COVID-19
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma have tested positive for Coronavirus, the president's office said in a statement on Monday.A post on...
Archive
Is Turkey undermining the Washington Agreement?
In a deal brokered during the closing months of the presidency of Donald Trump, Kosovo and Israel agreed to establish diplomatic relations as part...
Analysis
Is Turkey Biden’s “ally from hell”?
Ten years ago, The Atlantic ran as its cover story a piece titled “The Ally From Hell”. The article followed the raid that killed al-Qaeda...
Archive
Kazakhs return home from Syria
NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan - The National Security Committee of Kazakhstan, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan and with the support of...
Archive
UN calls for total ceasefire in Syria
The United Nations special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, has called for an immediate ceasefire across the country to enable an "all-out-effort" to combat...
Archive
Syria braces for lockdown after first virus case
Syria reported the first coronavirus infection on Monday. The healthcare system in the country has been ravaged after a decade of civil war, and...
Afghanistan
UN's Gutteres calls for 'immediate global ceasefire' to focus on COVID-19 fight
The United Nations’ chief Antonio Guterres appealed Monday for a global ceasefire to protect civilians in conflict zones during the coronavirus pandemic. He warned...
Archive
Turkey, Russia carry out first joint patrol in Syria
Turkey and Russia have completed their first joint military patrol along a strategic highway in Syria's northwestern region.
Under the recently agreed ceasefire, Syria’s president...
Archive
Turkey says Idlib ceasefire details agreed on with Russia
Turkish defence minister Hulusi Akar announced on Thursday that Turkish and Russian officials have agreed on the details of a ceasefire deal in Syria's...
Archive
Clashes between migrants, police erupt on Greek-Turkish border
Clashes have erupted on the Greek-Turkish border, with Greek security forces using tear gas and a water cannon to hold back the thousands of...
Archive
Putin, Erdogan agree ceasefire in Syria’s Idlib
Russia and Turkey agreed a ceasefire in Syria's Idlib province, Russia’s president Vladimir Putin announced on March 5 after talks with his Turkish counterpart...
Archive
Syria violence escalates, brawl in Turkish parliament ahead of Putin-Erdogan talks
Russia’s president Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan are set to meet today in Moscow in a bid to ease tensions...
Archive
Turkey shoots down warplane as Syrian forces retake town
Turkish forces downed a warplane flown by Syrian government forces over Idlib on Tuesday, as a strategic town in northwest Syria fell under the...
Archive
Russia rejects UN’s claims on war crimes in Syria
Russia on Tuesday rejected a claim by United Nations investigators that Russian air attacks in Syria amounted to a war crime by targeting civilian...
Archive
Erdogan warns Europe to expect millions of migrants
Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned on Monday that "millions" of migrants would soon head for Europe.
He was accused by EU leaders that he...
Archive
Turkey announces major offensive against Syrian government forces
Turkey said Sunday it was pursuing a military operation called “Operation Spring Shield” in northwest Syria after the government forces killed 34 Turkish soldiers...
Archive
Clashes erupt as Turkey allows thousands of migrants to head for Greece
Thousands of migrants have gathered at Turkey's border with Greece, after the Turkish government last week allowed their passage to Europe, saying it had...
Archive
Turkey says will not stop Syrian refugees reaching Europe
Turkey is "no longer able to hold refugees" following a Syrian attack in Idlib, a spokesman for president Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AKP party,...
Archive
Syrian airstrikes kill dozens of Turkish soldiers in Idlib
33 Turkish soldiers were killed and dozens more wounded in an airstrike in Syria’s Idlib province, in the bloody battle for control of the...
Archive
Russia rejects idea of truce with Syria’s rebels
Russia announced on Tuesday it would never agree to a ceasefire with the rebels in Syria's Idlib region. The announcement comes as the Syrian...
Archive
Erdogan confirms presence of Turkey-backed Syrian fighters in Libya
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday confirmed for the first time that pro-Turkish Syrian fighters are in Libya alongside training teams dispatched by...
Archive
Clashes in Syria escalate as Turkey-backed forces launch assault in Idlib
At least two Turkish soldiers were killed and another five wounded in Syrian government air raids on Thursday near Idlib. Turkish officials said that...
Archive
Assad predicts final victory after gains in northern Syria
Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad congratulated his forces Monday for recent gains in northwestern Syria that led to his troops consolidating control over Aleppo province.
In...
Archive
EU adds eight businessmen and two companies to Syria sanctions list
European Ministers added on Monday 8 Syrian individuals and 2 companies to the Syria sanctions list, whose activities directly benefited the President's Bashar al-Assad's regime,...
Archive
Turkey, Russia to hold talks as Syrian forces seize most of Aleppo province
Syrian government forces made major advances yesterday in the country’s northwestern Aleppo province, seizing most of the rebel-held region, state media said.
The advancement comes...
Afghanistan
Top politicians gather in Munich for security summit
Heads of state and government, security leaders and diplomats gathered for the 56th annual Munich Security Conference, which runs from 14-16 February. This year’s...
Archive
Deadly clashes in Syria as Turkey-Russia talks end without agreement
Talks in Ankara between Turkey and Russia ended without agreement on stopping clashes in Syria.
According to Turkey’s defense ministry, five Turkish soldiers were killed...
Archive
Syrian army intensifies attacks in Idlib despite Turkish warnings
Five Turkish soldiers have been killed in an attack carried out on a military base in Idlib province by Syrian government forces.
The Turkish military...
Archive
Syrian government forces nearly shoot down passenger plane, Russia blames Israel
Russia on Friday said its ally Syria nearly shot down a civilian plane on Friday while trying to repel an Israeli airstrike near Syria’s...
Archive
EU calls for end to bombings against civilians in Syria
The European Union called on Thursday for an end to the "extraordinary human suffering" of the civilian population in Syria, amid a renewed offensive...
Archive
Erdogan warns Syrian forces to pull back from Idlib posts
Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Syrian government forces in Idlib to pull back behind a line of Turkish observation posts by the end...
Archive
Turkey launches counterattack against Syrian forces
At least 13 Syrian soldiers were reportedly killed by Turkish forces in Syria’s Idlib region on Monday.
The attack that came in retaliation for an...
Afghanistan
Iran’s top commander Soleimani killed in US drone strike
Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force and the mastermind behind the Islamic Republic’s military and foreign policy in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon,...
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