Turkish-Kurdish conflict

Kurdish security forces patrol the street on Jan. 23, 2026 in Qamishli, Syria.

Analysis

Kurds, Damascus step back from brink as SDF signs fresh deal with Syrian government

After intense US-led diplomacy, Syria’s interim government and the Kurdish-led SDF agreed to a ceasefire and phased integration, averting all-out conflict.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Siyamend Ali

Interview

YPG spokesman: Syrian forces' strategy is to isolate Kurdish towns and cities

In an interview with Al-Monitor, YPG spokesman Siyamend Ali said Kurdish forces were successfully repelling advances by the Syrian army, while Damascus accused the Kurds of launching unprovoked attacks.

Siyamend Ali

Siyamend Ali

YPG spokesman

A woman with braided hair during a solidarity demonstration in Erbil, Iraq's Kurdistan region, on Jan. 23, 2026.

Turkey detains nurse over hair-braiding video in support of SDF

Authorities say the nurse’s social media post amounted to terror propaganda, while critics argue that her symbolic protest falls under freedom of expression as tensions over Syria spill into Turkey’s fragile peace process.

Turkish Foreign Ministery Press Service / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Turkey’s Syria gains come with risks as Damascus pushes Kurdish integration

Turkey has benefited from the Syrian government’s rollback of the Kurdish-led forces, but whether those gains translate into lasting security, refugee returns and domestic de-escalation will depend on political inclusion in Damascus.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Latest News

Analysis

Could US shift on Syria’s Kurds unlock progress with Turkey?

Syrian government forces ride on the roof of a vehicle as they deploy after crossing the Euphrates River in the province of Deir Ezzor, eastern Syria, on Jan. 19, 2026.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Trump praises Syria's Sharaa after truce reached with SDF

President Donald Trump takes questions from the media during a press briefing on Jan. 20, 2026, in Washington.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

Syria’s Kurds accept sweetened ceasefire deal as US envoy Barrack declares SDF obsolete

Soldiers walk past a parked car as Syrian government forces make their way to the city of Hasakeh in northeastern Syria on Jan. 20, 2026.

Erdogan welcomes Syria-SDF agreement, urges full implementation

DAMASCUS, SYRIA - JANUARY 18: Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa signs a ceasefire agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on January 18, 2026 in Damascus, Syria. According to Syrian state media, the deal includes a handover of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa governates into government control, and the full integration of SDF fighters into state institutions. It follows the government's recent push towards the key city of Raqqa, after SDF fighters withdrew from Aleppo amid deadly clashes over the

OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey faces tough options on Syrian rebel allies amid Damascus thaw

Ankara’s quest to restore ties with Damascus has left its Syrian rebel allies confused as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the jihadi group controlling Idlib, seeks to raise its profile and lure the disenchanted to its ranks.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian speaks during a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart in Ankara on Jan. 17, 2023.

Turkey, Iran to step up cooperation on Ankara-Damascus thaw

While the top Turkish and Iranian diplomats appear to be on the same page over the ongoing Damascus-Ankara rapprochement, both foreign ministers also raised contentious issues during the Iranian foreign minister’s visit to Turkey.

FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images

Fledgling Turkish-Syrian dialogue faces bumpy road ahead

Ankara and Damascus need to moderate their positions to avoid a collision in their quest for normalization.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar is seen seated at the start of the North Atlantic Council meeting on the final day of the NATO defense ministers' meeting at the NATO headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, Oct. 13, 2022.

Turkish defense chief warns Syrian rebels against ‘provocation’

As the Turkish president eyes a meeting with his Syrian counterpart, the Turkish defense chief warns Ankara-backed armed groups against “provocations” amid ongoing Syrian protests against the Damascus-Ankara thaw.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the Sixth Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, Astana, Kazakhstan, Oct. 13, 2022.

Erdogan presses for 'concrete steps' in Syria during call with Putin

President Erdogan tells his Russian counterpart Putin that the Syrian government needs to be "constructive" for "concrete results" in Syria.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks during a joint press conference with his Swedish counterpart in Ankara on Dec. 22, 2022.

Turkish, Syrian FMs could meet soon as diplomatic thaw gains steam

The top Turkish diplomat said Saturday that he could meet with his Syrian counterpart in mid-January.

Syria Idlib

Turkey, Syrian government may cooperate on the ground

Turkey is considering cooperating with the Syrian government in rebel-held Syrian territories after the first high-level talks between Turkey and the Syrian government in Moscow this week.

Protesters hold roses while taking part in a demonstration to pay tribute to the Enghien Street shooting victims in Paris on Dec. 23, 2022.

Turkey urges France to ban PKK 'propaganda' after Paris shooting

Summoning France’s ambassador, Turkey expresses concern regarding "anti-Turkish propaganda" in Paris demonstrations.

People gather near the site of an explosion that hit the police headquarters the day before in the Kurdish majority city of Diyarbakir, southeastern Turkey, April 12, 2017.

Turkey blames Kurdish militants over car bomb attack wounding nine

Turkey's interior minister has blamed the outlawed Kurdish militants over the roadside bomb attack in the Kurdish-majority southeast.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders' summit in Samarkand on September 16, 2022. (Photo by ALEXANDR DEMYANCHUK/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey's Erdogan seeking a meeting with Assad and Putin

In a reversal, Erdogan wants Russia to set-up a three-way meeting with Bashar Al-Assad, ten years after Ankara calling for his removal from power

A Turkey-backed Syrian fighter sits at a position on the outskirts of the town of Marea.

US, Russia stall Turkey's ground operation, but Kurdish gains under threat

The Russian and US policies of appeasing Turkey have averted a new Turkish ground operation in Syria for now, but they both lay the ground for a gradual undoing of Kurdish gains in the north.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (C) holds a joint press conference with Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto (L) and Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom (R) following meetings at the State Department in Washington, DC, Dec. 8, 2022.

Breaking | Last Updated: December 8, 2022, 3:49 pm

US confident Sweden, Finland will soon join NATO despite Turkey's holdup

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the two Nordic states had taken "tangible steps" to address Turkey's security concerns.