Turkish-Kurdish conflict

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to MPs at his party's group meeting in the Turkish parliament on Jan. 21, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey.

Analysis

How the Iran war is giving Turkey's Erdogan a big boost

Opinion polls show Turks turning to Erdogan as a steady hand during the war, even as the country's finances remain fragile.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Bibi Heybat mosque is seen in front of Bibi Heybat Oil Field, situated at the coast of the Caspian Sea outside Baku on March 19, 2019.

Analysis

How Azerbaijan benefits — and risks losing — from Iran war

Azerbaijan is cashing in on soaring oil prices and Israeli demand, but risks Iranian retaliation, pipeline attacks and regional blowback if the war escalates.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

An Iraqi oil tanker waits at the Khawr Abd Allah canal leading up to Al-Faw port in southern Iraq, on June 6, 2024.

Desperate to sell its oil, Iraq turns to Turkey amid standoff with Kurds

As Iraq looks to reroute oil to Turkey, Baghdad is also using the plan to push the Iraqi Kurds to greenlight exports through their territory.

Ali IHSAN OZTURK / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

No strangers to turmoil, Turkey-Iran to maintain ties under Mojtaba Khamenei

Even as war heighten tensions between Ankara and Tehran, the mix of rivalry and pragmatic cooperation that has long defined Turkey–Iran relations is likely to endure.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Latest News

Analysis

Could Kurds be Trump's lever in Iran regime-change scenarios?

Protesters hold a banner reading "Come and weave resistance together" and "Women, life, freedom."

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Feature

After SDF-Damascus truce, is Kurdish haven still safe for Syria's Alawites?

Members of People's Defense Units (YPG) stand guard as Syrian government internal security personnel enter the northeastern city of Hasakeh, a Kurdish stronghold, on Feb. 2, 2026.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Analysis

Kurds, Damascus step back from brink as SDF signs fresh deal with Syrian government

Kurdish security forces patrol the street on Jan. 23, 2026 in Qamishli, Syria.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Interview

YPG spokesman: Syrian forces' strategy is to isolate Kurdish towns and cities

Siyamend Ali

Siyamend Ali

Siyamend Ali

YPG spokesman

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence meets with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, October 17, 2019. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir - RC19DBA7A600

Trump touts Syria deal as Congress advances sanctions

A high-level US delegation has worked out a deal to temporarily halt Turkey’s violent weeklong offensive into northern Syria, but many in the Trump administration believe the price the Kurds are paying is too high.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (C-L) and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence (C-R), joined by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (4R), Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (3L) and senior aides, meet at the presidential complex in Ankara, Turkey, October 17, 2019. Shaun Tandon/Pool via REUTERS - RC1876FD8060

Turkish foreign minister: US-Turkey deal 'not a cease-fire'

Vice President Mike Pence announced that Turkish officials have agreed to suspend military operations in northeast Syria for five days to allow Kurdish forces to withdraw from the border area.

A man rides on a motorbike past a Kurdish female fighters of the Women's Protection Unit (YPJ) flag in the town of Rmeilan, Hasaka province, Syria March 28, 2019. Picture taken March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho - RC1B20B29D90

Is Kurdish dream of autonomy coming to an end?

The clouds of doubt over the Kurdish autonomy project in northern Syria have thickened after the Kurds struck a military alliance with Damascus, without getting any assurances on their future political rights.

Turkish attacks cut water supply to Syrian province

Shelling by Turkey in northeastern Syria has damaged the main water station supplying Hasakah province, where thousands of people, including many fleeing the Turkish invasion to the north, are at risk of not having safe drinking water.

Turkey’s military operation turning into diplomatic war

As the military front becomes perceptibly static in Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring, the center of gravity shifts to diplomatic front, seemingly catching Ankara underprepared.

Erdogan says he does not mind presence of Syrian troops as long as Kurds leave

The Syrian Democratic Forces forged a deal with the Syrian government to hold off the Turkish attack in northern Syria.

Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) fire rifles at a drone operated by Islamic State militants in Raqqa, Syria, June 16, 2017. Goran Tomasevic: "ISIS uses drones to monitor Kurdish fighters and drop bombs at their positions. On a few occasions I ran into a house with fighters because of drones. On one occasion a bomb from a drone landed near a house where I was hiding with the rest of our team and YPG fighters. The biggest challenge in Raqqa was very limited access and the heat. The te

Pentagon to stay in Islamic State fight from Iraq

The Pentagon expects to fight the Islamic State from Iraq, a senior defense official said today, as American troops are set to leave northern Syria under pressure from a deepening Turkish offensive.

Russian and Syrian national flags flutter on military vehicles near Manbij, Syria October 15, 2019. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki - RC134A208F00

Putin goes for broke to negotiate Turkey cease-fire

US withdrawal created some opportunites for Russia but also had it face new challenges with Turkey.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a joint press conference with Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic after their meeting in Belgrade, Serbia, October 7, 2019. REUTERS/Djordje Kojadinovic - RC1C7D7FF7D0

Erdogan defies international outcry over Syria incursion

Turkey has faced a barrage of recrimination for launching a military operation against Syrian Kurdish militants, but its president vows to maintain the “struggle for survival,” even as the death toll mounts and a humanitarian crisis looms.

Syrian army soldiers are seen in the town of Tel Tamer in northeast Syria, in this handout released by SANA on October 14, 2019. SANA/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THIS IMAGE. - RC18459B82D0

Kurdish deal with Syrian regime against Turkey a boon for Iran

As the Kurds sic Syria's army on Turkey, Iran offers to assume the high-profile role of mediator in the crisis.

Is Turkey able to handle influx of Islamic State prisoners?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey can take custody of Islamic State prisoners at a time when every other country avoids the repatriation of their own citizens. But there are serious questions as to whether Turkey can handle the situation.

Trump announces sanctions against Turkey

The Treasury Department sanctions Turkey's defense, energy, and interior ministers over Turkey's incursion into northern Syria.