Idlib — more than Raqqa — may be decisive Syria fault line

Russian-Turkish agreement under strain in key northern city.

Iraq

Turkey's drive to attract Iranian tourists hits political snags

Scrambling to compensate for lost markets, Turkey’s tourism sector aims to attract 2 million tourists from Iran this year, but Ankara’s erratic foreign policy could throw this target into jeopardy.

Turkey

Is Turkey rattled by Russian-Kurdish deal?

Turkey may feel its already tenuous footing in Syria slipping now that Russian troops have arrived in Afrin, after making a pact with the Kurds.

Syria

What's behind Erdogan's recent angry outbursts?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s blustering toward the West seems to have run its course with the exhausted Turkish public; however, it still works to coax Justice and Development Party elites.

Turkey

Iranian tourists flock to Turkish border towns

While Turkey's tourist industry is affected by Russian and European tourists no longer traveling to its shores in the large numbers seen previously, Iranian tourists party the night away in border towns such as Van.

Turkey

What role will Crimean Tatars play in Russian-Turkish relations?

Observers wonder just how far Turkey is willing to stick out its neck to support Crimean Tatars during its quest to further reconcile with Russia.

Turkey

Iraq’s Sunnis eye post-IS future under regional cover

Under Arab and international sponsorship, Iraq’s Sunni leaders recently attended a conference in Turkey to discuss the future of Sunnis in post-IS Iraq, with the conference sparking Shiite outrage and dissent among other Sunni officials opposed to the Turkish role in Iraq.

Iraq

How TV series can create new reality for traumatized Turks

Riding the populist wave of patriotism, Turkey’s entertainment sector has tuned to stories of bravery on the battlefield.

Turkey

Does Turkey's Erdogan expect more gain than pain from ditching EU?

As the April 16 referendum approaches, Turkey's president is trying to whip his supporters into a frenzy by lashing out at Europe, spewing epithets and pledging to reinstate the death penalty.

Turkey

Ankara's Syrian plan falters as Moscow sets up in Afrin

Turkey's move to enlist the Russians against the Syrian Kurds is not working out, as both the United States and Russia deepen their ties with the Syrian Kurds and Operation Euphrates Shield appears to have reached the limits of its expansion.

Syria

Free Syrian Army getting backup from Turkish-trained police

Turkey is shoring up the FSA's — and perhaps Ankara's — clout in Syria by providing newly schooled policemen to Aleppo province.

Syria

Are Ankara’s prospects in Syria dimming?

Turkey is hemmed in by the United States and Russia in Syria, unable to achieve its aim of blocking Kurdish gains.

Syria