Military Escalation in North Hama: A Deal or a Dilemma?
A weak cease-fire is likely but also open to the possibility of further escalation in the field. Each party will…
The Syrian Civil War is an ongoing multi-sided war in Syria fought between the Assad Regime and various domestic and foreign forces opposing both the regime and each other in varying combinations. It started as part of the Arab Spring protests in 2011 and escalated to an armed conflict due to the excessive use of force by the regime. The war is currently known to be the second deadliest of the 21st century.
The Unspoken Syrian Tribes in the Syrian Civil War
While Turkey and the U.S. discuss a potential safe-zone in northern Syria, especially in the areas below the 20-mile line,…
Between Rock and a Hard Place: The Armed Syrian Opposition In Idlib
Under current circumstances, the Syrian opposition remains weak in their disunity and seem incapable of getting rid of HTS. In…
What was Offered to Ankara in Moscow?
Maintaining a negotiation process with Russia or the U.S. will not provide Turkey with ultimate solutions to its security needs,…
Why Arab Countries are Changing their Strategies Towards Syria
Many countries, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia perceive the post-war reconstruction of Syria as an opportunity to break the…
Taking Stock of the Syria Withdrawal Decision
The Syria withdrawal decision is criticized on many fronts but most critics complain more about the style and timing than…
Turkey’s Options for a Safe Zone in Syria
In the long run, in case of a full U.S. withdrawal, it is not sustainable for the YPG to maintain…
How Cheap Drones Became Assets for Terrorist Organizations
The use of drones became popular among terrorist organizations as soon as the security vulnerability they contained was discovered. The…
Tunisia in a Predicament: Echoes of the Tunisian Revolution Lingering
Blaise’s aphorism that ‘frustration at that failure has no more gruesome expression than Tunisia’s tide of self-immolations’ (Blaise, Self-Immolation, Catalyst…
America’s MESA Delusion
The idea of forming a strategic alliance in the Middle East (MESA) is not new. It came under many labels…
Turkey’s Fight Against Terrorism: PKK, not Kurds
There is a deliberate confusion by using the term “Kurds” in relation to both societal or even political groups and…
Turkey’s Relationship with Pakistan and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
With the BRI and CPEC aimed at enhancing economic integration and prosperity in the region, it surely provides a firm…
Another Bumpy Week in US-Turkey Relations
The continued U.S. insistence on the use of the general category “Kurds” to describe the YPG forces in northern Syria…
Reflections on the Erdogan-Imamoglu Meeting
During the meeting between the two, Erdogan and Imamoglu spoke about the future of Istanbul and the dynamics of the…
Is the spring finally coming to the Turkey-PUK relations?
Turkey has a simple rule: do not support the PKK if you do not want to catch my wrath.
Pompeo’s Long Tour: How Incoherence Creates Challenges for the US in the Middle East
An interesting aspect of Pompeo’s recent visit to the Middle East is that he prefers to hold separate meetings with…
Four Scenarios for Idlib and the Future of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
Developments on the ground in Idlib and a bigger HTS presence will have serious implications for the international context and…
Turkey Can Help the US Exit from Syria
Although the withdrawal remains unclear, the road-map for Turkey is clear. Firstly, as President Erdoğan proposed in his piece, Turkey…
