What's really happening in Syria's al-Bab?

Everyone wants to know what's coming next in Syria — but it is hard enough to figure out what is going on right now.

Syria

Pro-Kurdish HDP leader kicked out of Turkish parliament

In Turkey’s latest salvo against the pro-Kurdish bloc, the parliament has expelled Peoples’ Democratic Party co-leader Figen Yuksekdag, who remains in jail with fellow leader Selahattin Demirtas and at least nine other HDP deputies while the ruling party continues its legal assaults ahead of the presidential referendum.

Turkey

Refugee influx to Turkey sharply rises

In the past five months, 551,000 new refugees arrived in Turkey, raising the total number to 3.551 million and the monthly cost to host them to $590 million.

Syria

Canal Istanbul: Still hyped, still 'crazy'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is dusting off plans for the megaproject Canal Istanbul ahead of the constitutional referendum as an example of what a strong president could achieve.

Turkey

Will Turkey get its way in Raqqa?

Turkey is trying to balance its precarious relationships with the United States and Russia while still getting what it wants in Syria.

Iraq

Erdogan banks on motley crew of Syrian armed groups

Turkey’s Syria partners seen as "ill-disciplined, untrained and inexperienced"; Erodgan links opposition to referendum to coup plotters; Mattis rules out US-Russia military cooperation "for now."

Syria

Erdogan presses for 1.5 million new jobs ahead of key vote

Faced with a worsening economic downturn, Turkey’s president scrambles to achieve some improvement, even if transient, ahead of a critical referendum in April.

Turkey

Is Erdogan promising a ghost army in Syria?

Erdogan promises to set up a “national army” in the area to be cleansed from the Islamic State in northern Syria, but with the combat assets available to him, never mind a national army, even a force to secure the cleansed area will not be easy.

Syria

Can economic opportunity bring Turkey, Egypt closer?

Turkey and Egypt are making investment overtures toward one another despite lingering political animosity that is unlikely to be resolved.

Egypt

Washington quietly rebuffs Turkish delegation’s anti-YPG efforts

A high-level delegation of Turkish Foreign Ministry, military and intelligence officials has failed to persuade the United States to exclude the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units from a planned offensive to liberate Raqqa.

Syria

In run-up to referendum, Turks can say anything but 'no'

The Turkish ruling party's campaign to push through amendments to grant the president sweeping new powers is having absurd and sobering consequences.

Turkey

Will Raqqa be site for clash of titan generals?

Two admired military heroes of Iran and Turkey, both commanding elite military units in Iraq and Syria, could wind up confronting each other in northern Syria.

Syria