Syria arrivals surge 111% as government bets on tourism revival The country welcomed 3.52 million visitors during the first half of 2026, more than double the figure recorded a year earlier, as the government pushes to reconnect to the world and promote tourism as a pillar of economic recovery. Syria
Syria seizes arms shipment on Iraq border destined for Hezbollah The operation comes as part of the Syrian authorities' efforts to curb illicit arms smuggling through its territory, namely intended for Hezbollah. Lebanon
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran declares 'existential war' as US strikes reach near Tehran By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Syria, US hold first business forum since sanctions relief: What to know The one-day forum in Damascus was organized by Syria’s Ministry of Economy and Industry and the US-Syria Business Council, which was established in Washington last June to advance trade and investment between the two nations. Syria
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Kremlin confirms S-400 talks with Turkey By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran hits Gulf, warns Hormuz will reopen on its terms By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
The Takeaway: Regional embrace of Syria's Assad puts US in tight spot Plus, the US responds to Itamar Ben-Gvir's controversial holy site visit, and President Joe Biden names ambassadors to Jordan and Oman. Syria
Syrian opposition-controlled areas protest Ankara-Damascus rapprochement Syrians are speaking out against a potential Turkish-Syrian rapprochement, with opposition-held areas holding vigils and protests across Aleppo and Idlib governorates. Syria
Turkey’s overtures to Assad all about crushing Syrian Kurds’ autonomy Turkey’s security establishment remains immutably opposed to the consolidation of any form of Kurdish autonomy in Syria that would mirror Kurdish gains in neighboring Iraq. Turkey
Israeli strikes on Syria put Damascus airport briefly out of service, kill two The Syrian government said on Monday that a string of Israeli strikes hit Damascus International Airport putting its service to a halt for nearly seven hours. Syria
Turkish, Syrian FMs could meet soon as diplomatic thaw gains steam The top Turkish diplomat said Saturday that he could meet with his Syrian counterpart in mid-January. Turkey
Turkey, Syrian government may cooperate on the ground Turkey is considering cooperating with the Syrian government in rebel-held Syrian territories after the first high-level talks between Turkey and the Syrian government in Moscow this week. Turkey
2022 in review: Turkey wraps up year of regional resets but more whiplash ahead As 2022 forced the Turkish government to reverse course with regional powers, this election year is expected to usher in even more change in Turkey’s foreign policy. Turkey
Turkish, Syrian defense chiefs hold landmark meeting in Russia The defense ministers' meeting in Moscow was the first official engagement between Damascus and Ankara in more than a decade. Turkey
Water crisis worsens in Syria's Idlib as support dries up The "Goal" organization, which has been active in Syria since 2012, has stopped pumping water in villages and towns as support for it ends Syria
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 Turkey
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. Turkey
World Bank says debt increasing in Middle East countries Egypt, Iran and Turkey’s debt rose significantly last year. Legacy: Gulf
