Syria Conflict

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander-in-chief Mazloum Kobane speaks during a press conference in Syria's northeastern city of Hasakeh on Dec. 6, 2024.

Explainer

SDF chief Kobane’s Damascus visit a high wire act for Syria’s Kurds

The SDF says its integration with Damascus is complete, but major questions remain over its fighters, weapons and the future of Kurdish self-rule.

ANKARA, TURKEY - JULY 08: U.S. President Donald Trump (R) meets with Ahmed al-Sharaa, President of Syria (L) for bilateral talks at Beştepe Presidential Compound during the NATO Summit on July 08, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Leaders from NATO's 32 countries, plus NATO allies like Ukraine, gathered in the Turkish capital to discuss a range of issues involving spending targets, defense industrial production, and support for Ukraine, among other topics. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

US lifts Syria's terror designation after 47 years

The Trump administration also took Hayat Tahrir al-Sham off its blacklist of Specially Designated Global Terrorist organizations.

A Turkish soldier from the 1st Border Regiment Command looks out over the border wall to Syria during alert drills at a military outpost on the Turkey/Syria border on March 2, 2017 in Kilis, Turkey.

Analysis

Why Turkey sees Israeli strikes in Syria as warning over its military role, Mecca Pact

Ankara views Israel’s latest strikes in Syria as part of a broader effort to curb Turkey’s military influence in Damascus and a challenge to its regional defense partnerships.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Turkey/Syria border

Analysis

Turkey bets on US deconfliction as Israel widens Syria red lines

As Washington pushes a new deconfliction mechanism between Turkey and Israel, the Jewish state shows little incentive to accept tighter constraints on its freedom of action in Syria, experts say.

Ezgi Akin

Rina Bassist

By Ezgi Akin , Rina Bassist

Latest News

Analysis

Israel fears Turkey’s Syria ambitions and doubts Trump will stop them

ANKARA, TURKEY - JULY 7: U.S. President Donald Trump (L)shakes hands with with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) during a formal arrival at the Bestepe Presidential Palace during the NATO summit on July 7, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Leaders from NATO's 32 countries, plus NATO allies like Ukraine, gathered in the Turkish capital to discuss a range of issues involving spending targets, defense industrial production, and support for Ukraine, among other topics. (Photo by Emrah Gurel - Pool/Getty Images)

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Turkey signals restraint as war of words with Israel escalates over Syria

Burhaanettin Duran

Syria’s FM pays Pakistan first visit in 19 years amid new regional alignments

Islamabad

Turkey looks to expand Syria energy footprint into oil, gas

President Ahmad al-Sharaa meets Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar at the People’s Palace in Damascus, Syria, on Aug. 19, 2026.

A Russian military police armored truck drives past a US military MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicle near the village of Tannuriyah in the countryside east of Qamishli in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province on May 2, 2020.

Syrian government reportedly building tribal force in Hasakah

Russia and Iran are seeking to build a tribal army within the Syrian Democratic Forces' areas in Hasakah to protect the regime’s survival near the sources of oil and agricultural wealth.

A truck carrying the first batch of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines arrives at Bab al-Hawa border crossing between Syria and Turkey in Syria's rebel-held northwestern Idlib on April 21, 2021.

Syria's Idlib receives first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines

Provided through the World Health Organization's COVAX program, the 53,800 AstraZeneca doses will go first to health care workers and first responders in the rebel-held territory.

In this handout provided by the EU Delegation in Vienna, Representatives of the European Union, Iran and others attend the Iran nuclear talks at the Grand Hotel on April 15, 2021, in Vienna, Austria. Representatives from the United States, Iran, the European Union, Russia, China and other participants from the original Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) are meeting directly and indirectly over possibly reviving the plan.

The Takeaway: Two tracks lead to Tehran: one through Vienna, another through Baghdad

Plus: Egypt’s train wrecks; new Nile Dam tensions; Turkey’s trafficking scandal; Iraq’s tribal vote; more!

ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP via Getty Images

Syria stripped of voting rights by global chemical weapons watchdog

The French proposal to suspend Syria's "rights and privileges" in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons followed repeated reports of government forces using chemical weapons against civilians.

This picture taken on June 17, 2020, shows a view of the facade of the central bank of Syria in the capital Damascus' Sabaa Bahrat Square.

Syria gets new central bank head

The last central bank governor was fired as the Syrian pound remains at historic low points against the US dollar.

Russian armored vehicles drive as part of a joint Turkish-Russian military patrol along the M4 highway, which links the northern provinces of Aleppo and Latakia, near Ariha in the rebel-held northwestern Idlib province, Syria, June 10, 2020.

Russia briefly withdraws from bases in north Aleppo, leaving SDF to face Turkey by itself

Russia briefly withdrew its forces and its military equipment from two bases in Tal Rifaat, only to return to them in the wake of understandings with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces that control the area and fear the advances of the Turkish-backed opposition.

Syrian women and children attend a ceremony to celebrate the last day of the school year in the rebel-held town of Azaz, in northern Syria, May 24, 2017.

Will Syrian women get wider representation in opposition?

The Syrian opposition is working to empower women and increase their participation at the political level, amid low female representation in official institutions.

The Assyrian Church of the Virgin Mary, which was destroyed in 2015 by the Islamic State, in the village of Tal Nasri, south of the town of Tal Tamr, northeastern Hasakah province, Syria, Nov. 15, 2019.

Assyrian Syriac powers looking to unify positions for future of Syria

Along the lines of the inter-Kurdish talks, Syria’s Syriacs and Assyrians appear to be joining hands in holding an internal dialogue to unify their vision and national discourse in the country.

JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images

Syria to hold presidential election denounced by US

Syria's upcoming presidential election is widely seen as foregone conclusion keeping President Bashar al-Assad in office.

Roj camp

Virus surge threatens northeast Syria camps, Save the Children warns

Authorities this month have confirmed 46 coronavirus cases across three camps hosting displaced people in northeast Syria.

Jennifer-Cafarella-Linda-Khatib-Omar-Alshogre

House panel considers US policy options in Syria

Members of the subcommittee also pressed witnesses on whether regime change in Syria is an option.

January 2018 Saraqib attack

Intel: US endorses watchdog report blaming Syria for chemical attack

The report from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons found "reasonable grounds" to believe that the Syrian air force dropped chlorine on a rebel-held town in northwestern Syria in 2018.