Fighting Between Syrian Forces and Al-Qaida-linked Group Leaves Dozens Dead
Al-Qaida-linked fighters attacked Syrian government positions Sunday on the edge of the country’s last rebel stronghold, triggering intense clashes that killed nearly three dozen combatants across both sides, opposition activists said. The fighting was among the worst since early March, when an agreement between Turkey and Russia halted the Syrian government’s three-month air and ground […]
Turkish Leader Threatens Action in Libya, Syria
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is threatening action in both Libya and Syria as rhetoric ramps up in the face of looming regional setbacks and growing frustrations with Moscow. Erdogan, addressing parliament Tuesday, issued a stark warning to Damascus not to violate the latest brokered cease-fire in Syrian rebel-controlled Idlib province. “We hope the cease-fire […]
Turkey Is the World’s New Nuclear Menace
Sometimes it’s hard to tell friend from foe, even if he is standing right next to you. And if you take President Donald Trump literally (yes, I know, we’ve been warned not to do that) he was suffering from such myopia during Wednesday’s press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “Turkey, as everyone knows, […]
Fierce clashes erupt between Syrian army, Turkish-led forces
Syrian troops battle Turkish-backed fighters near the border town of Ras al-Ain, threatening Russia-backed ceasefire. Heavy fighting between Syrian army troops and Turkish forces erupted near Ras al-Ain as Turkish-backed forces seized villages surrounding the border town. Turkish-backed rebels said there were intermittent clashes between the two militaries in recent days south of the town, […]
Syrian and Turkish armies in deadly border clash
The armies of Syria and Turkey traded deadly fire Tuesday for the first time since Ankara launched an anti-Kurdish offensive in early October, as Russia announced Kurdish forces had withdrawn from the border area. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Kurdish forces had pulled back from the entire border as per a deal struck between […]
RUSSIA AND TURKEY ARE BECOMING ALLIES, OVERSHADOWING ISRAEL
As Turkey and Russia grow closer they inevitably also grow closer in their work on ending the Syrian conflict and also on other regional and international issues. An emerging Russia-Turkey alliance in defense and energy will have long-term effects on the Middle East and Israel. This comes in the wake of Turkey acquiring Russia’s S-400 […]
Turkey: Israel a Jewish state? ‘That’s blatant racism’
Turkish president condemns Netanyahu for affirming Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people, claiming it amounts to ‘blatant racism.’ Turkey condemned Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Tuesday, calling his affirmation of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people “blatant racism”. “Netanyahu says that Israel is ‘a nation state not of all its citizens […]
Russia-Turkey-Iran summit on Syria
The Russian, Turkish and Iranian presidents are scheduled to meet on Syria in February, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday. “An agreement has been preliminarily reached and there is a basic understanding of holding the next summit next month,” Lavrov said at a joint press conference with his Kazakh counterpart Beibut Atamkulov. He did […]
Exclusive: Turkey to deploy troops inside Syria’s Idlib
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday Turkey will deploy troops in Syria’s northern Idlib region as part of a so-called de-escalation agreement brokered by Russia last month.The “de-escalation” zones, agreed by Turkey, Russia and Iran, would be further discussed in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his trip to Ankara next week, Erdogan […]
Top Merkel aide says Turkey’s conduct ‘unacceptable’
BERLIN (Reuters) – Turkey’s behavior is “unacceptable” and Germany has a duty to protect its citizens and companies but also wants to maintain strong ties with Ankara, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff said on Sunday. Relations between the NATO allies have deteriorated since Turkey arrested six rights activists, including one German, two […]