Turkish military says MIT shipped weapons to al-Qaeda

New documents have been leaked online, prompting the government to immediately ban reporting on the scandal and order the content deleted.

Syria

Former House Intel chair: Turkey can't have it both ways in NATO

Mike Rogers, former chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, also sees economic pressure on Russia as presenting a “unique opportunity” for Moscow’s help in Syria.

Iraq

Turkish Kurds' electoral strategy is a high-wire act

Rumors of electoral collusion between the government and the Kurdish Peoples' Democracy Party (HDP) gain momentum.

Syria

Are Israel, Jabhat al-Nusra coordinating on attacks in Syria?

Syrian opposition activists in southern Syria say Israel has played a vital role in Jabhat al-Nusra’s recent gains in Quneitra and Daraa.

Israel

Kobani hospitals overflow as battle continues

Makeshift hospitals are being set up in basements and schools across Kobani to treat fighters and civilians while armed groups have targeted the city’s main hospitals.

Iraq

Has the Islamic State's defeat already begun?

In the war against the Islamic State, the key issue is how to translate recent optimism on the strategic picture into tactical achievements on the ground.

Iraq

Jabhat al-Nusra tank commander sees little alternative to group

While Aleppo is not entirely under the control of Jabhat al-Nusra, the group has a strong presence in many of the city's neighborhoods and is currently fighting to take hold of villages north of Aleppo province, where they are facing Lebanese Hezbollah troops that are fighting alongside the Syrian regime.

Syria

Turkey cannot secure Syrian border alone

Turkish officials say Turkey is doing its best to prevent crossings into and out of Syria by Islamic militants, blaming European countries for not furnishing useful intelligence.

Syria

Sunni-Alawite couples in Syria defy sectarianism

The Syrian civil war has challenged Sunni-Alawite couples in getting their families' approval for marriage and society's acceptance of their relationships.

Syria

Dempsey says Iran’s role in Iraq might be 'positive'

Americans consider Islamic State, not Iran, as top threat to US in Mideast; terrorists in Syria planning “mass casualty attacks” in West; Salafists in Gaza look to Islamic State.

Palestine

Negotiations to free Lebanese soldiers remain at impasse

The hostage takers have demanded the demilitarization of areas on the Lebanese-Syrian border and the release of prisoners, both of which have been met with significant opposition by the Lebanese political establishment.

Lebanon

Turkey faces demining delays

Having stalled for a decade, Turkey risks further delays in meeting its international obligations to clear vast minefields, most of them along the Syrian border.

Syria