Syria Conflict

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander-in-chief Mazloum Kobane speaks during a press conference in Syria's northeastern city of Hasakeh on Dec. 6, 2024.

Explainer

SDF chief Kobane’s Damascus visit a high wire act for Syria’s Kurds

The SDF says its integration with Damascus is complete, but major questions remain over its fighters, weapons and the future of Kurdish self-rule.

ANKARA, TURKEY - JULY 08: U.S. President Donald Trump (R) meets with Ahmed al-Sharaa, President of Syria (L) for bilateral talks at Beştepe Presidential Compound during the NATO Summit on July 08, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Leaders from NATO's 32 countries, plus NATO allies like Ukraine, gathered in the Turkish capital to discuss a range of issues involving spending targets, defense industrial production, and support for Ukraine, among other topics. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

US lifts Syria's terror designation after 47 years

The Trump administration also took Hayat Tahrir al-Sham off its blacklist of Specially Designated Global Terrorist organizations.

A Turkish soldier from the 1st Border Regiment Command looks out over the border wall to Syria during alert drills at a military outpost on the Turkey/Syria border on March 2, 2017 in Kilis, Turkey.

Analysis

Why Turkey sees Israeli strikes in Syria as warning over its military role, Mecca Pact

Ankara views Israel’s latest strikes in Syria as part of a broader effort to curb Turkey’s military influence in Damascus and a challenge to its regional defense partnerships.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Turkey/Syria border

Analysis

Turkey bets on US deconfliction as Israel widens Syria red lines

As Washington pushes a new deconfliction mechanism between Turkey and Israel, the Jewish state shows little incentive to accept tighter constraints on its freedom of action in Syria, experts say.

Ezgi Akin

Rina Bassist

By Ezgi Akin , Rina Bassist

Latest News

Analysis

Israel fears Turkey’s Syria ambitions and doubts Trump will stop them

ANKARA, TURKEY - JULY 7: U.S. President Donald Trump (L)shakes hands with with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) during a formal arrival at the Bestepe Presidential Palace during the NATO summit on July 7, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Leaders from NATO's 32 countries, plus NATO allies like Ukraine, gathered in the Turkish capital to discuss a range of issues involving spending targets, defense industrial production, and support for Ukraine, among other topics. (Photo by Emrah Gurel - Pool/Getty Images)

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Turkey signals restraint as war of words with Israel escalates over Syria

Burhaanettin Duran

Syria’s FM pays Pakistan first visit in 19 years amid new regional alignments

Islamabad

Turkey looks to expand Syria energy footprint into oil, gas

President Ahmad al-Sharaa meets Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar at the People’s Palace in Damascus, Syria, on Aug. 19, 2026.

Fighters of the Manbij military council, allied to Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), take an overwatch position in the southern rural area of Manbij, in Aleppo Governorate, Syria June 1, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo - S1AEUACQAIAC

Syrian Kurdish parties resume talks, in secret

Rival Kurdish parties in northeastern Syria have began US-sponsored reconciliation talks after repeated delays in the past and in the hope of joining the UN-sponsored peace process to resolve the Syrian conflict.

A girl holds a bag as she walks near the rubble of damaged buildings in the rebel-held town of Nairab, Idlib region, Syria April 17, 2020. Picture taken April 17, 2020. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi - RC2C8G95MW34

Radical group hinders return of displaced Syrians to Idlib

Since the cease-fire agreement entered into force in Idlib last month, tens of thousands of internally displaced have returned to their towns in Idlib countryside, but those wishing to return are facing difficulties at the crossings run by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

One of the two top political leaders of the Syrian Kurdish alliance and co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council Ilham Ahmed delivers a speech during a press-conference, in Paris, on December 21, 2018. - Two top political leaders of the Syrian Kurdish alliance battling the Islamic State group visit Paris for talks on the planned US military withdrawal from Syria, an alliance representative said. (Photo by STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP) (Photo credit should read STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP via Getty Images)

Syrian Kurds investigate fate of detained, kidnapped

Kurdish authorities in northeastern Syria have launched an initiative to determine what has happened to the forcibly disappeared and those detained by the various parties to the conflict in Syria.

A vehicle belonging to Turkey-backed Syrian rebel fighters is parked next to a Turkish military bulldozer in the Syrian town of Ras al Ain, as seen from the Turkish border town of Ceylanpinar, in Sanliurfa province, Turkey, October 30, 2019. REUTERS/Kemal Aslan - RC121F436090

Turkish-backed rebels fight each other in Ras al-Ain, Syria

Syrian rebel groups backed by Turkey clashed with each other in the border town they captured from Kurdish forces last year.

Why Russia’s grip on Syrian military is weaker than it seems

Russia’s attempts to centralize the command of numerous pro-Assad militias operating in Syria have been a mixed bag, to say the least.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, wearing face masks as protection against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), meet in Damascus, Syria, in this handout released by SANA on April 20, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THIS IMAGE - RC2C8G9VK2MV

Iranian FM meets with Syria’s Assad amid coronavirus pandemic

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif meets with his counterpart Walid Moallem and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as Turkey accuses Syria of breaking the cease-fire in Idlib province.

Women hold stacks of bread as they walk along an empty street, as restrictions are imposed as measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Qamishli, Syria March 23, 2020. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RC2VPF9DRWOE

Syria's Kurdish-led region decries lack of international support in COVID-19 fight

Syria's northeast is left with little outside assistance to fight the coronavirus pandemic and requires much more international support.

$SYRIA - FEBRUARY 20, 2019: A humanitarian corridor for refugees leaving the Rukban refugee camp and 55-kilometre US-controlled Al-Tanf security zone in the settlement of Jabal al-Ghurab. Syria's law enforcement authorities and military police units of the Russian Armed Forces provide security at the two humanitarian corridors, Jleb and Jabal al-Ghurab. Konstantin Machulsky/TASS (Photo by Konstantin Machulsky\TASS via Getty Images)$

‘Nobody cares about us’: Syrians stuck at Rukban camp decry lack of testing

Syrians in the Rukban camp near the Jordanian border hope the coronavirus does not reach their isolated area as they have no coronavirus test kits; they also cannot cross the border into Jordan for any other type of medical care unless they have taken such a test and have proven negative.

Syria’s Ras al-Ain to open trade crossing with Turkey

Turkey is constructing a border crossing linking the opposition-held city of Ras al-Ain in northeastern Syria with Turkish territory.

Syrian youths wave to a convoy of Turkish military reinforcements advancing near the town of Hazano in the countryside of Syria's Idlib province, on April 12, 2020, on the highway linking the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey to Idlib. (Photo by Aref TAMMAWI / AFP) (Photo by AREF TAMMAWI/AFP via Getty Images)

Battles rage in Syria despite coronavirus cease-fires

Clashes are raging between Turkish-backed Syrian rebels and Syrian Kurdish groups east of the Euphrates River in what Syrian Kurds claim that is a Turkish effort to prevent displaced civilians from returning to their homes.

A flag of Islamic State militants is pictured above a destroyed house near the Clock Square in Raqqa, Syria October 18, 2017. Picture taken October 18, 2017. REUTERS/Erik De Castro - RC159E696010

Islamic State spreading terror once again in Syrian desert

The Islamic State is taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic and resuming its activities against regime forces in the Syrian desert.

Local groups in cooperation with the Turkish health department measure people's temperatures and inform them about the dangers of the spread of the coronavirus, on March 17, 2020 near the camp for displaced Syrians in Deir al-Ballut camp in Afrin's countryside in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo, along the border with Turkey. (Photo by Rami al SAYED / AFP) (Photo by RAMI AL SAYED/AFP via Getty Images)

How Syrian opposition is trying to stop coronavirus from reaching its areas

The Syrian opposition-led government is penalizing anyone involved in smuggling operations in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus.