Russian role in Syria still anyone's guess - Al-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Vitaly Naumkin

Vitaly Naumkin

Sep 24, 2015

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (L) receives Russia's new ambassador to Syria Alexander Kinschaka (C) in Damascus, in this February 9, 2015 handout photo by Syria's national news agency SANA. REUTERS/SANA/Handout via Reuters (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. EDITORIAL U — Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (L) receives Russia's new ambassador to Syria, Alexander Kinschak (C), in Damascus in this Feb. 9, 2015, photo by Syria's national news agency, SANA. — REUTERS/SANA

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani (L) shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping before the opening ceremony of the fourth Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit in Shanghai May 21, 2014. REUTERS/Mark Ralston/Pool (CHINA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3Q3X0

Iran nuclear deal with West could help it pivot East

Paul J. Saunders

Paul J. Saunders

In Washington, DC, reporting on Russia in the Middle East

Honour guards walk out from behind a curtain, before the start of an official welcoming ceremony for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing June 7, 2012. REUTERS/David Gray (CHINA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3382O

Are Turks Being Shanghaied?

Semih Idiz

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a signing ceremony with Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk, Belarus, November 11, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko - RTX2T8MF

Is Erdogan giving up on EU aspirations?

Semih Idiz

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan in Strelna near St. Petersburg, November 22, 2013. Putin said on Friday Western states must persuade the Syrian opposition to attend talks with President Bashar al-Assad's government which he said should take place as soon as possible. REUTERS/Aleksey Nikolskyi/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS CONFLICT)

ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RE

Turkey rebuilds ties to Russia on regional issues

Semih Idiz