Dan Wilkofsky Dan Wilkofsky is a Syria analyst and former editor at Syria Direct. On Twitter: @Dwilkofsky1 In Syria’s Deir ez-Zor, SDF conscription ‘severs livelihoods’ The Syrian Democratic Forces' recent campaign to conscript youth for military service is compounding economic hardship in Deir ez-Zor province, one of the poorest areas of Syria. In villages where the campaign is most active, young men are staying home for fear of arrest, forgoing daily wages and delaying grocery purchases to avoid passing by checkpoints. Dan Wilkofsky | Syria | Feb 22, 2021 Child recruitment casts shadow over Syrian Kurds' push for global legitimacy Failed efforts to secure the return of a recent spate of Kurdish youth recruited to fight in northeast Syria shows the delicate path the region's autonomous administration must navigate in its relations with the PKK. Amberin Zaman, Dan Wilkofsky | Syria | Dec 7, 2020 For Syria’s opposition activists, Turkey 'best of the bad' While initially welcoming millions of refugees and supporting opposition activists after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, the Turkish government has since shifted positions to further its own interests in a manner that dismays many Syrians living in the country. Amberin Zaman, Dan Wilkofsky | Syria | Sep 10, 2020 US troops 'secure' northeast Syria oil, as contamination from it imperils lives Dilapidated pipelines and oil waste coat polluted rivers and streams in Kurdish-run northeast Syria. Dan Wilkofsky, Amberin Zaman | Syria | Jun 30, 2020 US-led coalition ally targets State Department-funded Syrian Arab activists Syrian civil society activists in the country's largely Kurdish northeast are being arrested and held by the Syrian Democratic Forces, possibly as part of a campaign of intimidation. Amberin Zaman, Dan Wilkofsky | Syria | Apr 7, 2020 Profit, necessity spur trade across conflict lines in north Aleppo The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and Turkish-backed rebels have reopened trade crossings in northern Aleppo, bringing a sigh of relief to residents. Dan Wilkofsky | Syria | Mar 20, 2020 Following Russian expansion, roadblocks in northeast Syria delineate zones of US control US forces have been preventing Russian patrols from advancing along the M4 highway and around al-Malikiyya in northeastern Syria near the Turkish and Iraqi borders. Dan Wilkofsky | Syria | Feb 9, 2020 Residents in northeast Syria brace for winter as oil smugglers thrive While Deir ez-Zor is shipping oil other places thanks in part to a man named Hyena, many of its residents are suffering from poverty and the cold. Dan Wilkofsky | Syria | Dec 16, 2019 Israel’s love of Kurds weaponized by their foes Israel's support of Kurdish autonomy in Syria is not always welcomed — at least publicly — by Syria's Kurds. Amberin Zaman, Dan Wilkofsky | Israel | Dec 13, 2019 Smuggling crackdown highlights resilience of northeast Syria’s oil trade Despite a joint Kurdish-US crackdown against oil smugglers from northeast Syria toward government-controlled territories, trade continues. Dan Wilkofsky | Syria | Nov 26, 2019 Pagination Show more Popular Articles Turkey’s reaction to Biden’s recognition of Armenian genocide more bark than bite for now Al-Monitor Staff | Turkey | Apr 24, 2021 Fighting between Syria's Kurdish forces, pro-Assad militia enters fourth day Jared Szuba | Syria | Apr 23, 2021 Erdogan furious as his Islamic ambitions stumble in Turkish Cyprus Fehim Tastekin | Turkey | Apr 23, 2021 Syrian missile exposes Israel’s fragility Ben Caspit | Israel | Apr 23, 2021 A tale of two elections: Netanyahu, Abbas face the abyss Week in Review | Israel | Apr 22, 2021 Recent Podcasts Ebtesam Al-Ketbi discusses the Israeli-Palestinian Crisis, the Abraham Accords, the Iran talks, UAE diplomacy in the Horn of Africa, and more Jerusalem and West Bank unrest generated by Netanyahu’s policies, says Eran Etzion Gaza preparing for escalation between Israel and Hamas over Jerusalem, says Hana Salah Professor Chuck Freilich explains the failures that led to stampede at Mount Meron Middle East Scholar Arzu Yilmaz says limits of Turkish military activity in Iraq are mostly set by Iran
In Syria’s Deir ez-Zor, SDF conscription ‘severs livelihoods’ The Syrian Democratic Forces' recent campaign to conscript youth for military service is compounding economic hardship in Deir ez-Zor province, one of the poorest areas of Syria. In villages where the campaign is most active, young men are staying home for fear of arrest, forgoing daily wages and delaying grocery purchases to avoid passing by checkpoints. Dan Wilkofsky | Syria | Feb 22, 2021
Child recruitment casts shadow over Syrian Kurds' push for global legitimacy Failed efforts to secure the return of a recent spate of Kurdish youth recruited to fight in northeast Syria shows the delicate path the region's autonomous administration must navigate in its relations with the PKK. Amberin Zaman, Dan Wilkofsky | Syria | Dec 7, 2020
For Syria’s opposition activists, Turkey 'best of the bad' While initially welcoming millions of refugees and supporting opposition activists after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, the Turkish government has since shifted positions to further its own interests in a manner that dismays many Syrians living in the country. Amberin Zaman, Dan Wilkofsky | Syria | Sep 10, 2020
US troops 'secure' northeast Syria oil, as contamination from it imperils lives Dilapidated pipelines and oil waste coat polluted rivers and streams in Kurdish-run northeast Syria. Dan Wilkofsky, Amberin Zaman | Syria | Jun 30, 2020
US-led coalition ally targets State Department-funded Syrian Arab activists Syrian civil society activists in the country's largely Kurdish northeast are being arrested and held by the Syrian Democratic Forces, possibly as part of a campaign of intimidation. Amberin Zaman, Dan Wilkofsky | Syria | Apr 7, 2020
Profit, necessity spur trade across conflict lines in north Aleppo The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and Turkish-backed rebels have reopened trade crossings in northern Aleppo, bringing a sigh of relief to residents. Dan Wilkofsky | Syria | Mar 20, 2020
Following Russian expansion, roadblocks in northeast Syria delineate zones of US control US forces have been preventing Russian patrols from advancing along the M4 highway and around al-Malikiyya in northeastern Syria near the Turkish and Iraqi borders. Dan Wilkofsky | Syria | Feb 9, 2020
Residents in northeast Syria brace for winter as oil smugglers thrive While Deir ez-Zor is shipping oil other places thanks in part to a man named Hyena, many of its residents are suffering from poverty and the cold. Dan Wilkofsky | Syria | Dec 16, 2019
Israel’s love of Kurds weaponized by their foes Israel's support of Kurdish autonomy in Syria is not always welcomed — at least publicly — by Syria's Kurds. Amberin Zaman, Dan Wilkofsky | Israel | Dec 13, 2019
Smuggling crackdown highlights resilience of northeast Syria’s oil trade Despite a joint Kurdish-US crackdown against oil smugglers from northeast Syria toward government-controlled territories, trade continues. Dan Wilkofsky | Syria | Nov 26, 2019
Turkey’s reaction to Biden’s recognition of Armenian genocide more bark than bite for now Al-Monitor Staff | Turkey | Apr 24, 2021
Fighting between Syria's Kurdish forces, pro-Assad militia enters fourth day Jared Szuba | Syria | Apr 23, 2021
Erdogan furious as his Islamic ambitions stumble in Turkish Cyprus Fehim Tastekin | Turkey | Apr 23, 2021
Ebtesam Al-Ketbi discusses the Israeli-Palestinian Crisis, the Abraham Accords, the Iran talks, UAE diplomacy in the Horn of Africa, and more
Middle East Scholar Arzu Yilmaz says limits of Turkish military activity in Iraq are mostly set by Iran
