Turkish Troops in Syria Deepen America’s Quandary

by Robert E. Hunter The Turkish military incursion into Syria is yet another chapter in the continuing tragedy for that country, for Syrians of all confessions and ethnicities, and indeed for most of the Middle East. Ankara is acting, it… Continue Reading →

Jarabulus: Another Escalation in the War between Turkey and the Kurds

by Robert Olson On August 24, Turkey launched Operation Euphrates Shield, an attack on the Islamic State (IS) stronghold of Jarabulus, a small town located on the Turkish-Syrian. While Turkey has had troops on the Syrian side of the border… Continue Reading →

Does Fighting in Hasakah Signal a Diplomatic Realignment on Syria?

by Derek Davison Last week, open warfare broke out in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakah between militia forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government and forces affiliated with the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). Street-level clashes between the… Continue Reading →

Why Victory Over IS Won’t Solve the Real Problem Facing Iraq and Syria

by Derek Davison A recent spate of high-casualty Islamic State-linked attacks in France, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and (arguably) Orlando, Florida, has raised fears about the group’s ability to carry out international terrorist strikes while also obscuring its failures at… Continue Reading →

The Failed Coup and Turkey’s Gulenist Predicament

by Omer Taspinar Now that the dust is settling in Turkey, the magnitude of the damage to what is left of Turkish democracy is becoming clearer. As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan strangely admitted on the night of July 15… Continue Reading →