Who is trying to destabilize Syria by using minorities?
The Syrian opposition groups overthrew the 61-year-old Baath regime on Dec. 8, 2024. Thus, the Syrian revolution process that started in 2011 ended after 13 years of resistance against the despotic Bashar Assad's rule. The majority of the Syrian population welcomed the regime change and the leadership of Ahmed al-Sharaa. However, some regional and global powers have immediately begun to look for ways to intervene in Syrian domestic politics. These powers attempted to exploit the minorities living in the country.
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Türkiye-led alliance to end regional terrorist organizations: Daesh, PKK/YPG
During a recent diplomatic engagement, Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan underscored Türkiye’s commitment to fostering a regional counterterrorism framework independent of global hegemonic influence during his visit to Baghdad. Subsequent statements from Fidan revealed that a preliminary agreement had been reached for a joint cooperation mechanism involving Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Türkiye. The inaugural meeting of this quadrilateral alliance, initially centered on combating Daesh, is set to convene in Jordan with the participation of high-ranking officials, including the ministers of Foreign Affairs and National Defense, alongside the National Intelligence Organization (MIT).
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In 2024, Türkiye faced various security threats and regional changes, highlighting the challenges of counterterrorism and geopolitical turbulence. The year revealed both vulnerabilities in Türkiye’s defenses and new opportunities to consolidate influence in a shifting Middle East.
On September 11, 2001, the attack on the Twin Towers shattered the American public's sense of 'trust'. The American society, which until then had lived a trouble-free life between two oceans, realized that there was no country beyond the outreach of terrorism. American interventionism was materialized in Afghanistan and Iraq after the then-US President George W. Bush declaration of the Crusader War. It has led to the death or injury of millions, the destruction of cities, and the emergence of new types of instability due to ethnic and sectarian divisions.
With the ouster of Bashar Assad’s regime and the end of a nearly 14-year civil war, Syria is looking to a new future of abundant opportunities and several risks that could derail any effort to rebuild, but neighboring Türkiye is lending a helping hand.
Türkiye is preparing for a paradigmatic shift in its Syria policy after the collapse of the Bashar Assad regime. Before Dec. 8, Türkiye’s approach to Syria centered on the fight against terrorism and the refugee problem.
What is the U.S. After in Syria?
Debating what the United States wants in Syria might seem futile, as the question lacks a clear answer. This is primarily because, for some time now, the U.S.’s de facto policy in Syria—shaped by what it doesn’t want—has failed to evolve into a comprehensive strategy.
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Shifting balances and power lines in Syria
The opposition's military gains hold the power to reshape Syria’s status quo or push Damascus into the heart of a wider regional conflict
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U.S. election outcomes and changes in leadership have significant implications for the world. Although continuity is often expected in many foreign policy issues, the profile and policy choices of a new president shape American foreign policy priorities. The political identities of Trump and Harris, who are competing in the upcoming November elections, are starkly different and will play a crucial role in determining the U.S. approach to global and regional issues.
The press circulated a report in November 2023 that the United States (US) would provide the terrorist organization PKK/PYD with short and medium-range air defense systems. The same reports stated that around 80 PKK terrorists were being trained. Last week, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) delivered a short-range air defense system, known as Avenger, to the PKK/PYD. This process will probably continue with medium-range air defense systems.
Although Washington was specially chosen for the 75th anniversary, Americans, and even the participants, were focused more on U.S. President Joe Biden and whether he would forget things during his speech.
Some analysts think ‘it’s too early’ to say all disputes will be resolved while others say two NATO allies still maintain ‘positive strategic relationship’
Following Türkiye’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership in the Turkish Parliament, the U.S. State Department notified Congress of a $23 billion (TL 698.52 billion) sale of fighter jets to Türkiye and an $8.6 billion sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets to Greece, another ally in the NATO. The sale to Türkiye includes 40 Lockheed Martin F-16s and equipment to modernize the existing fleet of 79 F-16s. Greece will receive 40 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters and related equipment.
This report analyzes how the PKK and the PYD evolved into the SDF and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria with a focus on the PKK’s war crimes and human rights violations, military presence and natural resources as well as Türkiye’s military operations against the PKK/YPG. In this regard, this study represents the result of a significant effort to understand and analyze the PKK/YPG. It is also a pioneering work in academic literature.
