Beneath tough exterior, Putin may be ready to deal on Iran

Russian President Vladimir Putin seems to hold all the cards in the region, but is Moscow ready to show its hand?

Syria

Egypt's hand appears in play behind scenes in Sudan

The head of the Sudanese Transitional Military Council has visited Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, raising questions about Cairo’s role in Sudanese affairs.

Saudi Arabia

US Syria envoy says ‘no role’ for Europe in proposed safe zone

The United States has a “general” deal in place to establish a safe zone in northeastern Syria, the Trump administration’s top Syria policy official said, but the effort will not include European countries.

Syria

AKP's Istanbul campaign sinks to new lows

Turkey's ruling AKP has insinuated that the opposition's winning mayoral candidate for Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu is secretly Greek to discredit his campaign in a move that seemed to backfire.

Turkey

Can Erdogan mend fences with US, Europe while saving face?

Turkey is seeking to improve relations with the West to stave off further damage to its ailing economy, but wants to do so without appearing to concede any ground or make concessions.

Syria

Turkish diplomats swept up in wave of arrests report torture

Evidence is piling up that many of the dozens of former Turkish diplomats recently rounded up and jailed were tortured, and the timing of the crackdown has raised speculation that the government is attempting to intimidate purged officials.

Turkey

What is Russia's strategy in Idlib?

Russia is playing the long game with Turkey in the battle for the Syrian provence of Idlib.

Syria

New Diyarbakir mayor backs opposition candidate in Istanbul election rerun

The new HDP mayor of Diyarbakir calls for a Kurdish vote against the AKP in Istanbul's mayoral election rerun and says his AKP predecessor has left Diyarbakir in the poorhouse.

Turkey

Syria's territorial divisions complicate reconstruction

Russia's efforts toward the reconstruction of Syria are hindered by the inherent challenges in the territorial fragmentation of the country.

Syria

Interview

Sen. Van Hollen challenges Trump's bypass of Congress on Saudi Arabia, Iran

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen describes efforts to curtail the Trump administration’s Gulf policies.

Chris Van Hollen

US Senator from Maryland

Why Turkey is closing down Syrian refugee camps

The Turkish government has been systematically closing down Syrian refugee camps, citing high costs and integration problems, but are those the real reasons?

Syria

Turkey squashed by Idlib pressure

Despite the usual bluster in his traditional Ramadan address, Turkey's president said not a word about the destruction in Syria's Idlib, where Ankara's balance is wobbling.

Syria