Turkey is once again stoking tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean – this time by undermining the sovereignty of Greece and Cyprus while wagering that Washington and Brussels will look the other way....
On June 29, 2014, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State in al-Sham (ISIS), was recorded on video speaking at the al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul, Iraq. (“Al-Sham” is the traditional Arabic...
Turkey Unhappy With Visa Ban: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan demanded that the United States reverse its decision to revoke the visas of Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestinian...
Israeli Planes Barred From Turkish Airspace: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on August 29 that Ankara had closed the country’s airspace to Israeli aircraft as a protest...
Syria’s civil war broke out in March 2011, in reaction to the brutal crackdown by the regime of Bashar al-Asad of popular protests that were part of the wider Arab Spring. In supporting the Syrian...
The Turkish government is moving to enforce what officials describe as a “full ban on maritime traffic connected to Israel, prohibiting both Israel-flagged or Israel-owned vessels from entering...
Turkey’s Syria policy didn’t materialize in a vacuum. Rather, it was a reaction to the Arab uprisings that began in January 2011, known as the Arab Spring, which Turkish policymakers interpreted as...
Ahmed al-Shara’s attempts to concentrate power and spurn Syria’s minorities are destabilizing the country.
US Ambassador to Turkey and Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack is creating a mess in the Middle East, seemingly unaware of the repercussions. Working with the Lebanese government, he crafted...
Latest Developments Military Memorandum Signed: Turkey’s Ministry of Defense has announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Syria for the training of Syrian troops and military...
Clashes have erupted between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria. Since August 2, the SDF has reported five clashes, leaving tens wounded. The...
On August 13, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced that Turkish Minister of Defense Yasar Guler and Syrian Minister of Defense Murhaf Abu Qusra signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU)...
With Iran’s regional influence in steep decline, Turkey is aggressively positioning itself to fill the vacuum and assert dominance across the eastern Mediterranean and the broader Middle East....
Washington brokered an agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan on August 8 aimed at opening a transit corridor through the South Caucasus. The new agreement replaces the original Zangezur...
When Bashar al-Asad’s regime abruptly collapsed in December 2024, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan saw more than just a regional upheaval. He saw a long-awaited opportunity. With Iran’s...
In late July, Turkish defense contractors used the 2025 International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) to showcase the latest additions to the country’s arsenal. Headlining the event were two striking...
The Syrian revolution was not an uprising for liberty, freedom, or democracy. It was a manifestation of Sunni Islamists, backed by Turkey and Qatar, venting their rage against the rule of Assad, supported...
Syria after Bashar al-Assad is a country in chaos, but that does not mean it cannot get worse. One way that could happen would be a direct Turkish military intervention. Unfortunately, that is exactly...
The recent sectarian violence shows that the Syrian government and its Turkish backers share a dangerous vision of a Sunni-dominant state.
Turkey to Purchase 40 Jets: Turkey reached preliminary deals with both the United Kingdom and Germany on July 23 for the possible purchase of 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets....