Global Power Shifts Sparked in Syrian Hornets’ Nest

by Helena Cobban This week, Mideast watchers have been breathlessly awaiting the arrival in NATO member Turkey of the first of the two batteries of Russian-made S-400 air defense systems that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan purchased from Russia in… Continue Reading

U.S.-Turkish Agreement on Syria Remains Challenge

by Joe Macaron US officials appear to be overselling a potential deal with Turkey on establishing a “safe zone” in northeastern Syria, one they hope could peel Ankara away from Moscow. However, this approach might accelerate the confrontation between Turkish… Continue Reading

After Trump’s Syria Announcement, YPG Looks to Moscow and Damascus

by Giorgio Cafiero When a plethora of state and non-state actors were collaborating in the struggle against the Islamic State (ISIS or IS) in Syria during the so-called caliphate’s peak, the dominant Kurdish force—the People’s Protection Units (YPG)—cooperated with both… Continue Reading

Talking with an Unrepentant ISIS Fighter

by Giorgio Cafiero Situated at the Turkish-Syrian border’s intersection with the Mediterranean, Turkey’s southernmost Hatay Province has been highly vulnerable to spillover effects from Syria’s raging war. That’s been a function not only of geography and refugee waves, but also… Continue Reading