Turkish-Kurdish conflict

Syrian Kurds lift placards and flags during a rally calling for an autonomous administration and Kurdish rights in Syria's predominantly Kurdish northeastern city of Qamishli, on Sept. 17, 2025.

Ankara: Jailed PKK chief favors unitary Syria, no separate Kurdish defense force

The militant leader called for “police-like” security units in Syrian Democratic Forces areas during his landmark meeting with a Turkish parliamentary delegation, according to a transcript summary.

Kurdish official Aldar Khalil, who played a key role in establishing Syria's semiautonomous Kurdish region in 2013, during an interview in Qamishli on Dec. 22, 2018.

Exclusive

Top PYD official Aldar Khalil: 'Syria is telling Kurds to separate'

Al-Monitor spoke exclusively to Aldar Khalil, a member of the executive council of the Democratic Unity Party (PYD), which shares power in the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria, about the halted talks between Syria’s transitional government and the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

People take part in a demonstration to call for the liberation of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan outside the European Council in Strasbourg, eastern France, on Sept. 15, 2025.

Analysis

PKK leader Ocalan gains legitimacy in Turkey, bigger sway over Syria’s Kurds

The ongoing deadlock between Damascus and the SDF is seen as a major obstacle to progress in Turkey’s efforts to address its long-standing Kurdish issue.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Burak Kara/Getty Images

Erdogan’s top ally Bahceli slams foot-dragging on meeting with PKK leader

The nationalist leader criticized the parliamentary committee for dragging its feet on a meeting with the jailed PKK leader, as Turkey’s president and his ruling party remain silent.

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Analysis

Could Trump be the one to deliver peace to Syria and Turkey's Kurds?

Sharaa

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Erdogan's top ally calls for release of Kurdish leader amid speculation of rift

A man holds a portrait of Selahattin Demirtas during a gathering of Turkish Kurds for Nowruz celebrations marking the New Year of the Persian calendar and the first day of spring, Diyarbakir, southeastern Turkey, March 21, 2025.

Analysis

Water for influence: Turkey moves to ease Iraq's water shortages ahead of elections

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani review honor guards during the latter's official visit to Ankara, May 8, 2025.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Exclusive

PKK leader Ocalan appeals to Iraqi Kurdistan president for help in Turkey peace talks

Kurds wave Kurdistan Workers' Party flags (PKK) and flags depicting Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan, during a demonstration to call for Ocalan's liberation outside the European Council in Strasbourg, eastern France, on Sept. 15, 2025.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken takes part in a meeting with Turkey's foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, in Washington, DC, on March 8, 2024.

Analysis

New visits, full momentum: Can Turkey and US go beyond transactionalism?

US-Turkey ties are heading in a positive direction, but it’s too soon to be optimistic, according to one expert.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan speaks during a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela in Caracas on Feb. 24, 2024.

Turkey’s Fidan to meet Blinken in Washington as US ties strengthen

Hakan Fidan's meeting with Blinken comes on the heels of his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum.

Turkish presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin.

Turkey spy chief Kalin to meet CIA’s Burns, discuss Syria on first US visit

In addition to bilateral ties, the Gaza and Russia-Ukraine wars will top the agenda of the Turkish intelligence chief’s meetings with his US counterpart and other US officials.

Members of the Khabour Guards (MNK) Assyrian Syrian militia, affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), walk in the ruins of the Assyrian Church of the Virgin Mary, which was previously destroyed by Islamic State (IS) group fighters, in the village of Tal Nasri south of the town of Tal Tamr in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province on Nov. 15, 2019.

Turkish strike kills 3 members of Kurdish-allied Christian force in northeast Syria

Wednesday's drone strikes are in line with Turkey’s ongoing campaign to degrade and destroy the SDF and the Kurdish-led autonomous administration in northeast Syria.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) welcomes Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif as they pose upon his arrival during an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey on June 1, 2022. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey treads cautious line amid Iran-Pakistan flareup

Turkey’s highly cautious tone over attacks by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps on Iraq and Pakistan reflects Ankara’s approach of not wanting to involve outside players in its disagreements with Tehran.

Turkey-backed Syrian fighter sits at a position on the outskirts of the town of Marea.

Turkey's operation in Syria could happen in 'upcoming months': Erdogan

The Turkish president’s comments come after the top Turkish diplomat leveled rare public criticism at Russia.

Smokes billows in Qamishli in northeastern Syria close to the Turkish border on Dec. 25, 2023, amid Turkish military strikes in the area.

Breaking | Last Updated: January 13, 2024, 2:36 pm

Turkey launches retaliatory strikes in Syria & Iraq, Erdogan convenes security meeting

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will hold an emergency national security meeting on Saturday.

Interview

Syrian Kurdish commander tells Washington not to sell F-16s to Turkey

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, SDF commander-in-chief Mazlum Kobane called on the United States to shore up flagging Kurdish faith in Washington and block any new F-16 sales to Turkey.

Mazlum Kobane

Mazlum Kobane

SDF commander in chief

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (L) arrives under the rain to the Turkish Parliament to take oath of office after his election win at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, on June 3, 2023. Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan was sworn in for a third term as president on June 3, promising to serve "impartially" after winning a historic runoff election to extend his two-decade rule. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

2023 in review: From disaster to diplomacy, a climactic year for Turkey

Ankara and NATO capitals are once again at loggerheads despite Turkey’s restoration vision put forward after the May elections.

University students protesting.

2023 in review: Israel-Hamas war puts human rights in focus as pattern of double standards persists

A growing number of countries — many of them repressive in their own right — demand to know why Israel’s abuses are permissible.

Smokes billows in Qamishli in northeastern Syria close to the Turkish border on Dec. 25, 2023.

Turkey speeds up attacks on Kurdish groups in Syria, Iraq

The latest escalation occurred after the killing of 12 Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq over the past week.

Smoke plumes billow from a fire at a lumber warehouse in southern Khartoum amidst ongoing fighting on June 7, 2023. Eight weeks of fighting have pitted Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo -- commonly known as Hemeti -- who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). A number of broken ceasefires have offered brief lulls but no respite for residents of Khartoum, where witnesses again reported "the sound of heavy artillery fire" in the ca

2023 in review: From Sudan to Syria, here are Mideast's forgotten conflicts

More than 12,000 people were killed in the war in Sudan this year, while violence persisted in parts of Syria, Iraq and other countries across the Middle East and North Africa.