Senate defense spending bill would restrict US troop drawdown from Syria Washington plans to zero out stipends for Iraqi Kurdistan’s peshmerga forces but will continue funding Iraq’s Counter-Terrorism Service and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces through 2026. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Kurdish militants return abducted Turkish agents as fragile peace push continues The handover is seen as a confidence-building measure, as Erdogan seeks a deal with militants to secure Kurdish support for extending his presidency beyond 2028. Turkey
Analysis Can Turkey dismantle PKK, push SDF integration while rewriting rules in Syria? Ankara hopes for the PKK's disarmament and the SDF's integration under Damascus, but skepticism and risks remain. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Analysis Emboldened by Suwayda fallout, Syria’s Kurds hold their ground with Damascus The Suwayda crisis boosts Kurdish confidence and threatens Erdogan’s bid to secure Kurdish support for a third term. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Archive Upfront from Oct 17, 2022 Are Syria’s HTS jihadis Turkey’s new friends? After Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the jihadi faction that runs the northwestern province of Idlib, moved into Afrin, the question of where Turkey stands in this power grab is of critical importance. Turkey
Tehran strikes Kurdish opponents in Iraq as protests over Mahsa Amini’s death convulse Iran Iran ramps up its bombing campaign in northern Iraq in what Iraqi Kurds argue is an attempt to divert the world's attention from the killing of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini. Iraq
Turkish celebrities, including jailed Kurdish politician, cut hair for Mahsa Amini Women activists, celebrities and jailed Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas cut their hair in solidarity with Mahsa Amini, the Iranian Kurdish woman who died in detention by Iran’s morality police. Turkey
Syrian opposition launches program to teach Kurdish language in Aleppo Syrian Kurds in the areas of the Syrian opposition welcomed the decision to launch a program to teach the Kurdish language at the opposition-affiliated Free Aleppo University in the city of Azaz. Syria
US extends military support for Iraq’s Kurdistan Region The renewed agreement entails further steps to reform peshmerga forces as Pentagon aims to prepare Iraq’s forces for long-term self-sufficiency. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Deadly intra-Shiite violence rattles Iraq’s Kurds Kurds are "deeply troubled by the new cycle of violence in Iraq" and look to be peacemakers. Iraq
Barzani says former Turkish president wanted federation with Iraq’s Kurds In his memoir, Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani shares that Turkey's former President Turgut Ozal had once floated the idea of "annexing" Iraqi Kurdistan. Turkey
Islamic State threatens Kurdish workers in northeast Syria The Islamic State is threatening to kill employees in the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor if they continue to report to their jobs. Syria
Will Iraq's Sunnis, Kurds support early elections? Iraq’s Sunni and Kurdish forces are closely watching developments between the Sadrist movement and the Coordination Framework, so as to take a political position on whether to dissolve parliament and hold early elections. Iraq
Turkey grapples with policy change on Syria Ankara's complex ties with Moscow, the political cost of Syrian refugees and looming elections are all dictating dialogue with Damascus on Ankara, but it has yet to come up with a plan to proceed. Turkey
Kurdish leaders meet as Iraqi political deadlock continues Iraq’s two major Kurdish parties have been trying to reach a compromise between the two, but to no avail. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Kurdish diva brokenhearted but resolute in face of language discrimination in Turkey The "brutal" quashing of Kurdishness in Turkey continues to be state policy — even in entertainment. Turkey
