by Robert Olson On August 24, Turkey invaded Syria to retake the Islamic State (ISIS or IS)-held town of Jarabulus. Along with Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces comprised of anti-Assad, jihadist, and pro-Turkish Turkmen forces, Turkey has continued to drive… Continue Reading
by Derek Davison A ceasefire that went into effect throughout Syria on September 12 may now be on the verge of collapse. On Saturday, a U.S. airstrike near the eastern city of Deir ez-Zor struck Syrian government forces, reportedly killing… Continue Reading
by Robert Olson Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on September 4 that Turkey would make a massive investment of $3.4 billion to rehabilitate the heavily Kurdish-populated southeast. The inclusion of substantial economic incentives could push the total package to… Continue Reading
by Robert Olson This is a question asked by Metin Gurcan in Al-Monitor on August 31. Gurcan proffers several possible scenarios as to what Turkey’s policies toward the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing, the People’s Protection Units… Continue Reading
by Shireen Hunter Since the United States’ invasion of Iraq in 2003, which exacerbated Iraq’s ethnic and sectarian divisions and the manipulation of these divisions by regional and international actors, centrifugal tendencies in Iraq have become quite strong. For example,… Continue Reading