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. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
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 YPG spokesman
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. Turkey
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. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Analysis Could US shift on Syria’s Kurds unlock progress with Turkey? By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Trump praises Syria's Sharaa after truce reached with SDF By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
Absent new agreements, Trump-Erdogan meeting ends with pledge to work together US President Donald Trump and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in Washington to rebuild US-Turkish relations without setting a clear path for progress. Syria
Erdogan’s US welcome sparks fear Trump will halt Turkey sanctions As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the White House today amid protest from Congress, aides in Congress and experts lose faith that President Donald Trump will impose automatic sanctions on Turkey for taking delivery of a Russian air defense system over four months ago. Turkey
Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring effectively divides Syria into five sectors The essential division of northeastern Syria into five sectors has created a highly combustible environment where one small spark is enough to start a massive fire. Syria
Turkey faces uphill battle to improve image after Syria operation The Turkish president is maintaining his hard line, which indicates that Ankara’s ties with the international community will remain strained. Syria
Ankara faces hostility in north Syria as Turkish-Russian patrols continue Crowds threw stones and eggs at Turkish-Russian convoys as they entered the predominantly Kurdish town of Kobani in northern Syria. Syria
Residents returning to Tell Abyad after Turkish-FSA invasion Life is gradually returning to Tell Abyad after the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army took control of the city from Kurdish forces. Syria
National security officials fear White House reversal on Syria As a residual US troop presence arrives in Syria, some Donald Trump administration officials are worried that the president himself may once again reverse his decision to leave troops in the country. Syria
Risking Turkey’s ire, Iraqi Kurds back Syrian brethren The oft-disunited Kurds of Iraq, Syria and Turkey are united against Turkey's invasion of areas in Syria where Kurds had achieved self-rule. Iraq
Trump’s amity with Erdogan deepens Turkey’s isolation The double blow the US House dealt Turkey over its military campaign in Syria shows how wrong Erdogan is to rely solely on his personal relationship with Trump to manage ties with the United States. Turkey
Kurdish self-administration under fire People living to the east of the Euphrates in Syria wonder about the fate of the Kurdish self-administration after the Turkish military attack and the recent Russian, Turkish and US political agreements on the status of this region. Syria
As Syria constitution talks kick off, is Kurdish administration 'finished'? As representatives from Syria's government, opposition and civil society meet in Geneva to draft a new constitution for the war-torn country, Al-Monitor spoke with French academic Fabrice Balanche on prospects for the talks. Iraq
Psychologists build bonds between Turks, Syrians even as refugee sentiment sours Turkey may be pushing for the return of refugees to Syria, but their advocates are still working to create ties between children, preparing for what is likely to be a much longer stay. Syria
