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Russia

Mysteries in Syrian Political History

There are many unresolved mysteries in Syrian political history. Even what has been revealed in Douglas Little’s documents or in Ambassador Hare’s correspondence warrants further research or should be compared with documents that can be found elsewhere. History possesses complexities and layers akin to mines, with the surface offering little indication of what lies beneath. […]

Lavrov’s Remarks: A Proven Recipe to unsettle Turkey

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has a tried-and-true strategy for dealing with the Turks regarding the Syrian file. It is enough for him to trigger Turkey’s pathological fears regarding the Kurds and declare the dangers of the secession of the Autonomous Administration and the creation of a Kurdish entity, which causes Ankara to flinch and […]

Syria, Turkey, and Egypt: The Risks & Rewards of Repaired Relationships

Years ago, Turkish officials made statements regarding the management of the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. In 2015, Turkey’s aggression towards Arab regimes, primarily through Muslim Brotherhood militias and Salafi-jihadist organizations, peaked, deepening the rift between Turkey and Egypt following the ousting of the late President Mohamed Morsi and the end of the Muslim Brotherhood’s […]

How Shifting US Priorities Affect Security Calculations for SDF

The war between Hamas and Israel on October 7, 2023, established a new security environment for the entire region; it is likely to shift the association ‘east of the Euphrates’ in Syria from the war against ISIS to the region’s de facto transformation into part of a wider  international coalition environment led by Washington. The […]

Rojava: Turkey Ups the Ante Ahead of Astana

On Monday (June 12), people in Rojava were astounded by a US Central Command press release revealing 22 US military personnel were injured in a helicopter “mishap” in southern Hasaka, part of the de facto Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES)- also known as Rojava. With the incident repressed for 24 hours, and […]

Will Assad Gift Erdoğan a Pre-Election Meeting?

Though not confirmed yet, Turkey’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, announced on Friday (April 28), that the quadripartite meeting involving foreign affairs ministers of Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Moscow may take place in early May. Notably, his country is in the throes of holding parliamentary and presidential elections that could end the two decade-long rule […]

Could the US Sacrifice Rojava to Restore Relations with Turkey?

On March 1, 2003, Turkey’s Grand National Assembly (TBMM) failed to pass a motion to allow the participation of Turkish armed forces in the US-led invasion of Iraq, and concurrently give assent for foreign troops to be deployed on Turkish soil to serve that end. That failure, or rather democratic rejection, has ever since marked […]

NATO: An Umbrella for Crimes?

Last month, the French Press Agency published a field report on the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine, which includes foreign fighters who have voluntarily joined Ukrainian armed forces in the fight against Russia’s invasion. The agency’s reporter met a former U.S soldier stationed on the front lines in Kharkiv, who sought help in […]