Syria Conflict

A general view shows the Awad oil field in the eastern Qamishli countryside in northeastern Syria, on Feb. 15, 2026.

Interview

US oil firm HKN aims to double Syria's output as it takes over Kurdish-run fields

HKN Vice President Matthew Zais tells Al-Monitor the company plans to double production at Syria’s northeastern oil fields while tackling pollution, as questions remain over the future of the Kurdish-run Jazira Oil Company.

Matthew Zais

Matthew Zais

HKN vice president for government affairs

Zaidi

Iraq's Zaidi meets Sharaa on first Syria visit: What to know

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has sought to assuage concerns about his past militant activity in Iraq, whose oil trade and security cooperation with his two country is rising.

Mourners attend the funeral of those who were killed in airstrikes carried out by Jordan the night before on the village of Al-Taf in the Al-Lajat region, located in the northeastern countryside of Daraa, on Oct. 27, 2026.

Syria slams Jordan over crossborder strikes, denies coordination: What to know

Jordan said its airstrikes targeted ISIS fighters, while Syria said civilians were killed, sparking outrage.

New female cadets from the new women's police academy attend the first cohort graduation ceremony after completing a six-month training program, in al-Tal on the northern outskirts of Damascus, on Sept. 22, 2026.

Culture

Syrian women easy target in Sharaa’s drive to consolidate power

Syria’s interim president is balancing Western demands for inclusion with pressure from Islamist hard-liners as he seeks to consolidate power and shed his jihadi past.

Latest News

Analysis

What’s at stake for Turkey as Israel heads to the polls?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan receives Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Turkish House in New York, on Sept. 19, 2023.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Analysis

How Israel’s elections could bring thaw with Syria

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrives for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly gathering, UN Headquarters, New York, Sept. 22, 2026.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Analysis

'The problem and the solution': Netanyahu-Sharaa call exposes Israel's Syria dilemma

Israeli troops stand guard on the dividing line between the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights and Syrian, near Majdal Shams, July 16, 2025.

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

Syria to rejoin Arab group at IMF, leaving Russian-led constituency

An attendee walks past signage displayed inside the venue for the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok on October 14, 2026. (Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP via Getty Images)

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders' summit in Samarkand on September 16, 2022. (Photo by ALEXANDR DEMYANCHUK/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey's Erdogan seeking a meeting with Assad and Putin

In a reversal, Erdogan wants Russia to set-up a three-way meeting with Bashar Al-Assad, ten years after Ankara calling for his removal from power

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

US, Russia stall Turkey's ground operation, but Kurdish gains under threat

The Russian and US policies of appeasing Turkey have averted a new Turkish ground operation in Syria for now, but they both lay the ground for a gradual undoing of Kurdish gains in the north.

A picture taken during a tour organized by the Syrian Ministry of Information shows a Syrian national flag and cars in the district of Daraa al-Balad, Daraa, Syria, Sept. 12, 2021.

Jihadists accuse HTS of conspiring with Syrian government to kill IS leader

Jihadis opposed to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in northern Syria accuse it of sending fighters from Idlib to Daraa, in the south of the country, to aid the Russians and government forces in eradicating Islamic State cells and their leader in the province.

Ahmed Read Jamus

By Ahmed Read Jamus

ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Russian delegation heads to Turkey amid potential Syria offensive

The top Turkish diplomat aired a rare complaint over the Russian stalling of constitutional talks between the warring Syrian actors, calling on Moscow to allow the process to resume.

Incoming Syrian refugees who were suddenly deported from Turkey await to register with officials.

Half a million Syrians return from Turkey, but were they forced?

Some 560,000 Syrian refugees in Turkey have returned to their country as part of deportation projects, many fleeing the harassment they were facing in the country.

TOPSHOT - Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the Sixth Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Astana on October 13, 2022.

The Turkey Briefing: Can Ankara convince Moscow to grant green light for Syria invasion?

In this week's newsletter, Ezgi Akin rounds up the top stories from Turkey.

Erdogan

Analysis

Turkey’s leveraging of Syria, Ukraine crises frustrates US, Europe

Erdogan disregards appeals by US for restraint in Syria and demands further concessions from Stockholm for agreeing to Sweden’s NATO admission.

Week in Review

By Week in Review

Turkey-backed Syrian fighters man a checkpoint in the town of Marea in the northern Aleppo governorate, facing the Kurdish-controlled area of Tal Rifaat, Syria, Aug. 2, 2022.

Syrian opposition gears up for Turkish ground operation

As the Turkish-backed opposition factions prepare for an imminent Turkish ground operation against Kurdish forces in northern Syria, questions arise about the potential participation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in the battle.

Fighters affiliated with the third corps of the Turkish-backed "Syrian National Army" man a turret at a position near Azaz in the rebel-held north of the Aleppo province, opposite the town of Menagh (Minaq) along the frontlines with areas under control by Syrian government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on November 29, 2022.

The Security Briefing: Pentagon tries to reason with Turkey

In this weekly newsletter, Pentagon Correspondent Jared Szuba rounds up the biggest security stories from the region.

Israeli right-wing Knesset member Itamar Ben-Gvir (R) chats with incoming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L).

The Takeaway: US-Palestinian ties get upgrade ahead of Netanyahu’s return

Plus, US diplomats are evacuated from Syria and prospects sink for a revived Iranian nuclear deal.

Syrian-Kurdish demonstrators take to the streets to protest against Turkey.

Could Syrian Kurdish issue facilitate Erdogan-Assad rapprochement?

Damascus’ low-key reaction to Turkey’s recent strikes on Syrian Kurdish targets suggests it might acquiesce to Turkish military moves that would contribute to ending the US military presence in the north.

DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images

Syrian Kurdish commander slams US response to Turkish attacks as US diplomats evacuated from Syria

The United States' top ally in Syria warned that unless Washington and the Kremlin push back more firmly Turkey will launch a ground offensive against his forces that will further undermine the battle against the Islamic State.