Syria

The directives from the U.S. Department of Defense for families of American soldiers and non-essential personnel to leave several Middle Eastern countries suggest the imminence of a new war. The outcome may not be known for days, but a new course is being charted in negotiations with Iran; one marked by significant preparations for war. […]

Every state, regardless of its character and political system, needs a founding myth, not only to ensure the survival of those in power but also to produce a unifying narrative for the diverse population blocks it encompasses within its borders. These blocks are often spread across multiple locations, interests, and cultures. Such a myth provides […]

In a story by Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano titled “The River of Oblivion,” he says: “The Roman legionnaires stopped on the bank of the river. They never crossed it, because whoever crosses the River of Forgetting and reaches the other side forgets who they are and where they came from” (Galeano, The Book of Embraces). […]

In the wake of power vacuum created by the collapse of the regime of Bashar Assad late in December 2024, Vladimir Putin, President of Russia- Assad’s patron- prophetically told reporters that Israel emerges to be the main beneficiary of the unfolding situation in Syria. Conversely, Donald Trump, Putin’s American counterpart, has ever since held a […]

The Middle East is witnessing increased regional and international activity. Syria stands out as a vital geopolitical arena where the interests and agendas of multiple powers converge. At a time when regional and international actors are competing for influence, this complex landscape is further complicated by a significant internal factor: shifts in the Syrian power […]

Almost a week after U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Syria from the Saudi-American Forum platform, the European Union decided to follow Washington’s lead by lifting its sanctions as well. This move was met with great joy by many Syrians, including those who supported those sanctions during the Assad regime’s time and […]

Syrian politics today is based on a concept of fait accompli whose actual consequences are difficult to comprehend. It seems that the various parties in Syria have been convinced that the so-called new administration in Damascus has sufficient regional and international support for its survival. Therefore, it is not wise to radically oppose it, but […]

Turkey insists on considering the ‘new Syria’ as an area under its influence, with the political system therein as supportive and subordinate to Ankara. From this perspective, Turkey endeavors to penetrate all segments and institutions of the Syrian state, creating a strong interconnectedness between the various structures within Syria and the administrative and managerial institutions—both […]

It is impossible to interpret the sectarian conflicts that occurred in Western Europe without considering the economic factor. During the French Civil War (1562-1598) between Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots), the Huguenots formed the backbone of the emerging capitalist class, while the Catholics, who were the majority of the population, consisted mainly of peasants loyal to […]

The hard- to- explain flurry of visits paid to the Syria capital by regional and global powers since the rise to power of Ahmed al-Sharaa late in December 2024 transcends by all appearances Syria’s national borders. Syria’s hard-to-define state of affairs since the December blitzkrieg, which saw the collapse of the regime of Bashar Assad, […]

Exile was a common political practice in ancient Athens, carried out through a tradition called (ostrakízein), in which voters would carve the name of a leader who had become too powerful or arrogant on a piece of pottery. The individual who received the most votes was expelled from Athens for ten years. It is said […]

Since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Turkey has sought to position itself as a key diplomatic mediator in one of the most complex crises of this century. This mediation did not happen spontaneously but resulted from Turkey’s long-term positioning between Russia on one side and NATO and the West on the other, which provided […]

At the top of the many priorities of the authority in Damascus (led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, as it should always be reminded) is the narrative of “extending the state’s control over all areas of the country.” This means that the government/state, through security forces and factions that comprise the “Syrian regular army,” must control […]

Ankara greeted Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election with joy and hope after four difficult years under Joe Biden. This optimism was fueled by the belief that it might be possible to find common ground with Trump, who is fascinated by strong leaders, which could serve as a way to boost the stagnant […]

Syria, as a geographical-political entity that emerged within a political framework lasting four months in 1920, was the most prolific in generating political ideas from which political currents and parties in the region extending from Morocco to Iraq emerged. These ranged from Pan-Arab thought with its founders: Sati’ al-Husri, Michel Aflaq, and Kstantine Zureiq, to […]

There is no greater irony than for a foreign head of state to ask the leader of a country hosting him on its territory to stop his regime from harming its vulnerable groups and communities, as was the case in the Paris meeting between Emmanuel Macron and Ahmed al-Sharaa. However, were the demands made by […]

The fall of the dictatorship of the Syrian President, Bashar Assad, late in December 2024 has opened the door wide for speculation about what the future holds for the religiously diverse and ethnically mixed country. Strangely, two days after Assad had fled, Germany’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock, called for the protection of minorities […]

Syria has deep geopolitical and historical significance in the Middle East. The complex and intertwined interaction between politics and religious faith has always been the cornerstone in shaping the modern Syrian state and its turbulent development path. Throughout history, Syria has been a fertile ground where the roots of the interaction between politics and faith […]

Since the Hamas offensive a year and a half ago, the Middle East has been witnessing events of utmost importance in terms of their results achieved thus far and their repercussions on the region as a whole, as well as on international issues such as the Iranian nuclear file and the Ukraine crisis. With the […]

In a commentary on the CSIS podcast published on March 20, 2025, conducted by John Alterman with the journalist from The Economist, Nicolas Pileham, who interviewed the interim Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, numerous impressionistic phrases are used in an attempt to craft a well-rounded profile of the new Syrian authority figure. According to Pileham’s portrayal, […]

The statement issued by the Syrian presidency in response to the outcomes of the ‘Kurdish Unity Conference’ held in the city of Qamishlo on 26 April 2025, contained many fallacies that were, as usual, wrapped in nationalistic and unity slogans. This was done to market the statement to Syrians and public opinion as a defender […]

In two different historical contexts, more than a hundred years apart, two political statements or declarations emerged, reflecting the aspirations of Syrians toward independence and building a national state in Syria: the first is the ‘Declaration of the General Syrian National Congress’ (1920), and the second is the ‘Declaration of the Kurdish Unity Conference’ (2025). […]

The election in November 2024 of Donald Trump for a second presidential term in the White House was received with anxiety by people in the autonomous Kurdish enclave of Rojava. A month later, the secularist Arab nationalist regime of the Syrian President, Bashar Assad, fell to Islamist- leaning extremist groups. This transformative shift- which could […]

The Kurdish Center for Studies, represented by its director, Nawaf Khalil, participated in a forum that gathered several Syrian and Iraqi research centers. This event took place in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, at the invitation of the Iraqi Group for Foreign Affairs, on April 9-10, 2025. During the forum, which brought together various research and […]

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham is exercising a significant degree of pragmatism and maneuvering, having transformed—following the “Deterrence of Aggression” operation—from an organization descended from Jabhat al-Nusra into a decisive, interventionist force, and then into a state after culminating its military campaign on December 18, 2024, with a pivotal historical event: the entry into Damascus, both as […]

There have been various models of political transitions around the world for decades, particularly in countries that have faced crises. These include: 1- Successful Transition through Agreement after Civil War: Lebanon between 1989-1990, Angola between 1991-2006, Mozambique in 1992, and Cambodia between 1992-1993. In the last three cases, the transition occurred through an agreement between […]

In the context of structurally troubled countries that are undergoing superficial political transformations without substantial changes in authoritarian structures, the Syrian model emerges as a glaring example of the contradiction between claims of technocracy and exclusionary authoritarian practices. Despite the official reiteration of concepts such as “civil state,” “efficiency,” and “institutional reconstruction,” the practical reality […]

The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime contributed to strengthening Turkish aspirations within Syria. Whether the military presence is based on the principle of “de facto” or direct occupation under the pretext of protecting national security, the ability of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham to seize control of most Syrian cities previously held by the deposed regime prompted […]

Syria today suffers from numerous afflictions, foremost among them the extreme poverty affecting the majority of Syrians, the collapse of basic services, lawlessness among militias, and their practices that amount to genocide. There are also violations of Syrian territory by neighboring countries, especially Israel, as well as conflicts arising from the post-Assad regime and the […]

There is no doubt that the color green has infiltrated the Syrian landscape following the fall of the Assad regime, emerging as a dominant symbol. Social media has been filled with trending slogans such as “green is expanding,” referring to the need for opposition factions and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to control Syrian territory. The […]