Idlib offensive tests strength of Russia-Turkey ties in Syria

Russia is tiring of Ankara's balancing act between Washington and Moscow, and Turkey's less-than-successful actions in Syria.

Syria

Turkey's Saadet Party could sway Istanbul elections

Turkey's fundamentalist Saadet Party will run its mayoral candidate in the June 23 repeat election in Istanbul, possibly tipping the results in favor of the opposition party.

Turkey

Unmoved by government's overtures, Kurds continue hunger strike in Turkey

Keen to draw the Kurds to its side ahead of a key election do-over, Ankara allowed jailed Kurdistan Workers Party leader Abdullah Ocalan to see his lawyers in early May, but thousands of inmates still refuse to end their hunger strike.

Turkey

Turkey steps up efforts to stop all-out assault on Syria’s Idlib

Turkey hopes a working group with Russia will ease attacks on Syria’s last rebel-controlled territory, but will convincing Russia require concessions in other foreign policy objectives?

Syria

Turkey denies it's building wall around Afrin

Turkish-backed factions denied reports that Turkey is building a wall to separate Afrin from the northern Aleppo countryside, saying Ankara is actually boosting its security against potential Kurdish attacks.

Syria

Voters mysteriously added, subtracted for Istanbul election rerun

While Ankara lawyers express their disappointment that the government rescinded the results of the Istanbul mayoral election, voters are mysteriously added to and subtracted from the electoral roll for the June 23 do-over, even though the roll is supposed to remain the same as for the March 31 election.

Turkey

Intel: Why Turkey, Russia are not about to fall out over Idlib

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is accusing the Syrian government of seeking to “sabotage” Turkey’s relations with Russia with its assault on rebel-held Idlib.

Syria

Congressional appropriators move to tie up F-35 deliveries to Turkey

The new House foreign aid bill would prohibit spending federal dollars to transfer the jets unless Ankara abandons its plans to buy missile defenses from Moscow.

Turkey

Turkey’s repression of media turns violent

In the wake of a brutal attack on a Turkish journalist, few believe the official story of a traffic altercation as political violence ravages the country.

Turkey

Yazidis have 'protectors' in Iraq, but question safety

Iraq's Yazidi ethno-religious minority is safe from the Islamic State, but now faces infighting among protective forces seeking dominance in Sinjar.

Iraq

Turkey sticks to its guns on Russian missile-defense deal

Despite the efforts of NATO heavy-hitter Jens Stoltenberg, Turkey seems to be moving closer to Russia and its S-400 air-defense system.

Turkey

Long-expected battle for Idlib may have begun

Backed by massive Russian air power, the Syrian regime has launched what may be the start of a long-feared offensive to retake opposition-held northern Hama and Idlib, in which an estimated 3 million inhabitants and civilians displaced from other areas are trapped.

Syria