Syrian Democratic Forces

October 24, 2024 | |

Turkey Strikes Kurdish Positions in Iraq and Syria After Blaming PKK for Attack in Ankara

The Turkish air force carried out 47 strikes on Kurdish targets in both Iraq and Syria overnight on October 23-24, according to statements by the country’s Ministry of National...

July 25, 2024 | Sophia Epley, Sinan Ciddi

The perils of a Turkish-Syrian rapprochement

Since Turkey and Syria broke off relations in 2011, Ankara has played a prominent role in fighting Bashar Al-Assad’s regime in Syria by supplying material support to insurgent groups seeking to overthrow...

July 15, 2024 | |

Turkey To Halt Military Operation in Northern Iraq

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on July 13 that Turkey is winding down its military operation against Kurdish separatists in northern Iraq. In 2022, Turkey launched...

July 15, 2024 | Seth J. Frantzman |

Syria’s regime holds symbolic legislative ‘elections’

The elections are worth watching for what they may tell us regarding the regime’s attempts to return to regions in Syria illegally occupied by Turkey.

February 22, 2024 | Seth J. Frantzman |

Kurdish solidarity delegation from Germany visits Israel

The visit was to express the Kurdish solidarity with the Jewish people and the Kurdish sentiments that the Jews are not alone.

February 6, 2024 | Seth J. Frantzman |

As US, Iran trade blows, Afghans and Kurds in Syria may pay price

The Afghans were killed because their bases in Syria tend to be simple, poorly constructed and they are used by Iran as cannon-fodder in Syria.

November 28, 2023 | Seth J. Frantzman |

Gaza’s Gordian Knot

Unless the United States and its partners solve the paradox of who controls Gaza, adversaries will continue to try to exploit the situation.

November 16, 2023 | Seth J. Frantzman |

Iranian-backed groups in Syria may use roadside bombs – report

According to an assessment in the pro-Iran Al-Mayadeen media, these attacks are not having the level of impact that Iran may have expected.

November 9, 2023 | Sinan Ciddi |

The United States Should Unambiguously Embrace Our Kurdish Partners

Since the United States took the bold decision to partner with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in 2015, our NATO ally Turkey has accused us of working with (what it perceives to be) “terrorists.”...

October 6, 2023 | |

U.S. Shoots Down Turkish Drone Threatening Troops in Syria

The United States and Turkey worked to defuse tensions after the October 5 downing of an armed Turkish drone by an American F-16 in northeast Syria. The drone reportedly flew within...

May 17, 2023 | Clifford D. May |

Bashar al-Assad is back

And the Arab League’s got him

May 4, 2023 | Sinan Ciddi |

Is Turkey Getting Tough On Terrorism?

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently announced that Turkish forces had successfully neutralized the current leader of the Islamic State (IS), Abu Hussein al-Qurayshi following a raid on...

April 13, 2023 | Sinan Ciddi |

Biden Must Tell Erdogan To Stop Targeting US Partners

Turkey is suspected of having carried out a drone strike inside of Iraqi Kurdistan that almost killed the leader of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – General Mazloum Abdi. The strike, which...

December 6, 2022 | Sinan Ciddi |

Biden Must Act to Prevent a Turkish Attack on US Partners in Northern Syria

Following a barrage of air strikes against Kurdish targets in northern Syria, the Turkish government has vowed to follow up with a ground campaign against the Syrian-Kurdish People’s Protection Units...

May 25, 2022 | Clifford D. May |

NATO’s problem child

Turkey threatens to blackball Sweden and Finland

October 18, 2021 | Aykan Erdemir, David Adesnik

Turkey Threatens New Military Offensive in Northern Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on October 11 that he has “no patience left” for attacks by Syrian Kurdish fighters targeting Turkey’s border towns and Turkish forces in northern Syria,...

August 20, 2021 | Aykan Erdemir |

Will Erdogan Use The Threat of Afghan Refugee Flows to Extract Additional Concessions from the European Union?

The Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan will have significant consequences for Turkey’s domestic politics as well as for its international relations. In early June, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan...

February 10, 2021 | Bradley Bowman |

Trump’s Worst 2 Military Mistakes for Biden to Fix

Some policies may be worth keeping, but Trump’s handling of allies and withdrawals from conflict zones are not among them.

August 16, 2020 | Aykan Erdemir, Philip Kowalski

Joe Biden Will Be America’s Most Pro-Kurdish President

The real test of Biden’s pro-Kurdish sentiments will be whether the need to maintain pragmatic cooperation with Ankara and Baghdad will ultimately force him to temper his commitment to the Kurds that the mountains are not their only friends.

April 27, 2020 | Aykan Erdemir, Luc Sasseville

Will COVID-19 Restrain Erdoğan’s Syria Ambitions?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ambitions in Syria have resulted in a two-pronged intervention, as Ankara targets the Bashar al-Assad regime in the war-torn country’s northwest and the Kurdish-led...