Exclusive Rubio said 'no meeting' with Syria’s Shibani in Munich unless Kurdish commander included Rubio’s insistence was aimed at satisfying lawmakers demanding stronger US support for the SDF. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Syria begins prisoner exchange with Druze militia in south: What to know The Suwayda area has seen significant instability since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, complicating government efforts to address sectarian factionalism. Syria
Turkey to repatriate its ISIS fighters from Iraq as jihadis escalate Syria attacks Ankara will repatriate its nationals from among thousands of fighters transferred from Syria, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said. Turkey
Canada becomes latest Western country to lift Syria sanctions: What to know Like the US, Canada had strained relations with Syria during the civil war but is now showing signs of engagement. Syria
Feature After SDF-Damascus truce, is Kurdish haven still safe for Syria's Alawites? By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
US military pulls out of Syria’s Al-Tanf garrison in major shift By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Will Manbij fighters heed the call to return home? The Manbij Military Council has called on rebel fighters from Manbij to desert their militias and return to their cities and villages. Syria
SDF avoids fight with Trump over budget cut The Trump administration's proposed 2021 budget would diminish the SDF's ability to effectively fight IS, but the coalition is unlikely to protest the steep cuts out of fear of angering Trump. Syria
Intel: What's behind Erdogan's latest threat of imminent attack in Syria Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the parliament yesterday that an operation against Syrian government forces in the rebel-held province of Idlib was “a matter of moments” after talks between Turkish officials and their Russian counterparts in Moscow failed to deliver “the desired result.” Syria
Syrian crossings reopen, freeing up flow of people, goods The closed crossings that have separated Turkish-affiliated forces in Syria from those of the Kurds have reopened, allowing for trade and travel in those areas for the first time in months. Syria
Why is Turkish Cypriot leader declared ‘enemy’ in Turkey? The leader of the Cypriot Turks angered Ankara in October for criticizing the Turkish incursion into Syria, but all hell has broken loose since he recently said that any move by Turkey to annex Northern Cyprus would be a “horrible” prospect. Turkey
Syrian army makes gains in Idlib, opposition blames Turkey Syrian opposition groups wonder what value the Turkish observation posts and the Turkish army have in Idlib, as the Syrian regime forces make great advances in the area. Syria
Is Turkey planning to curb radicals in Idlib under strategy shift? In a scenario that invokes its Afrin operation in 2018, Ankara speaks of reining in radical groups and asserting field control in Idlib, hoping that Moscow will give it a nod to avoid war. Syria
Turkey grows erratic as clashes in Idlib escalate The Turkish government seems increasingly irrational as clashes intensify between Syrian government forces and Turkey-backed rebels in Idlib. Syria
Displaced yet again, Syrians flee Idlib for Manbij With intense shelling and catastrophic conditions in Idlib province, the Syrian Democratic Forces are welcoming refugees into areas they control to the east around Manbij. Syria
Raqqa seeks to repair what IS ruined The Religious Affairs Foundation in Raqqa held its first Islamic forum as part of efforts to correct the religious concepts that the Islamic State misinterpreted and practiced, in an attempt to bridge the gap that IS created among the Syrian communities. Syria
How Idlib escalation could affect Syrian Kurds Syrian Kurds are pondering how to take advantage of Turkish-Russian tensions over Idlib, focusing on Turkish-controlled Afrin and not ruling out the prospect of fighting along with government forces if the conflict escalates. Syria
Intel: Five Turkish soldiers killed in Idlib amid Russian-Turkish de-escalation talks Five Turkish troops were killed and five wounded in shelling by the Russian-backed Syrian regime today as the Turkish and Russian delegations were in talks in Ankara to wind down the clashes in Idlib. Syria
