Newsletter: Turkey SDF’s Kobane says Ankara trip in the works Mazlum Kobane says he could travel to Turkey and potentially meet jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump says removing Iran’s uranium is more about optics Trump downplays Iran uranium removal after China talks, the UAE moves to bypass Hormuz and Iraq ends months of political deadlock. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Interview Syrian Kurdish commander Kobane says Turkey visit ‘in the making,’ Ocalan meeting possible The SDF commander-in-chief reflected on a fragile integration deal with Damascus, growing Kurdish backlash and ongoing talks with Turkey as questions mount over Rojava’s political future. Mazloum Kobane SDF commander in chief
Turkey, Armenia to launch direct trade in normalization push: What to know The move removes a decades-old reexport mechanism routed largely through Georgia as Ankara and Yerevan step up normalization efforts. Turkey
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump rejects Iran's latest proposal By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis From drones to deterrence: Turkey's ICBM missile signals bigger ambitions By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Lebanon Gains From Hostage Deal, Regional Trends Qatar and the Palestinian Authority, which are at odds with Hezbollah, seem to have played key roles in releasing Lebanese hostages close to Hezbollah. Lebanon
Turkish Politics Is Lost At Meeting People's Needs The regularly scheduled speeches by party leaders on Tuesdays are turning people off of politics. Turkey
Turkey’s Kurdish Peace Effort At Crossroads The likelihood of a resumption of violence with the Kurds in Turkey is not a distant possibility. Turkey
Egypt-Qatar Relations Sour Over World Cup Broadcast Rights Qatar’s ties with Egypt have been further strained by a dispute over broadcast rights for soccer matches. Qatar
Hasankeyf: Civilization Condemned to Death The countdown has started for unique, 12,000-year-old historical monuments in the Tigris Valley to be submerged by the waters of a dam promising an annual revenue of 300 million Turkish lira. Turkey
Solidarity Visits to Gaza Dwindle International solidarity delegations to Gaza have struggled to enter the territory since Egypt's tightening of its blockade, cutting off a vital source of essential medical assistance. Palestine
Why Turks Are Fighting Over Trees The controversy over thousands of trees to be uprooted on a university campus in Ankara for a construction project is reminiscent of Gezi Park. Turkey
Aleppo's war economy Residents of Aleppo have moved beyond the initial shocks of war and are adjusting to make ends meet. Syria
Al-Qaeda Sinks Roots in Mosul Al-Qaeda continues to gain strength in Iraq, taxing the residents of Mosul, attacking minorities and "collaborators" and making the city a base of operations in Ninevah province. Iraq
Turkey's Road to China Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said NATO or any other country does not have the right to question Turkey’s decision to co-produce missiles with China. Turkey
Turkey on Defensive Over Hamas Claims that Turkey is obstructing Palestinian reconciliation are fueling the AKP's belief in an international campaign to isolate Ankara politically at an already low point in its foreign relations. Palestine
UN Envoy on Yemen Deserves Spotlight Jamal Benomar, special adviser on Yemen to the UN secretary-general, has succeeded with a difficult brief. Yemen