By Hasan Ünal The 5 August meeting in Sochi between Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin has given rise to speculation in the west over Turkish-Russian rapprochement – and its possible negative impact on western efforts to curtail the imminent multipolar order. Western NATO states have reason to be concerned about Ankara’s recent moves, given the ...

The Turkish government is repeatedly stating its will to pursue another military opeation in the north of Syria. Ankara has also brought up the topic on the recent meeting of the Astana trio in Tehran in meetings with Iranian and Russian counterparts. We interviewed Ismail Hakkı Pekin, retired Lieutenant-General of the Turkish Armed Forces and former Head of Military Intelligence ...

By Mehmet Kıvanç The Syrian army is beginning to show presence again at the border with Türkiye, from where it had withdrawn in 2012. While Türkiye’s preparations for a military operation are ongoing, the Syrian Armed Forces have sent military contingents to Ayn el Arab (Kobane), Tel Rifat and Manbij. Russia is forcing the YPG to agree to Damascus’ terms, ...

Aidan Aslin is a British national who fought as a mercenary at the side of the YPG/PKK in the north of Syria in 2015 and 2016. Upon his return to the United Kingdom, he was detained, but released afterwards and went back to Syria. He expressed himself in support for a so-called Kurdish autonomous region in Syria and called Western ...