Turkey’s Kurds celebrate new year, brace for election

The pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party hopes the March 31 municipal elections will repudiate the government’s removal of its officials from local offices, but President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that he reserves the right to do so again.

Turkey

New Zealand, Australia outraged over Erdogan’s remarks on Christchurch attacks

Turkey’s president has cast the rampage that killed 50 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand as an attack on the wider Muslim world, particularly Turkey.

Turkey

Turkish intervention could trigger Syria's 'second great war'

Mazlum Kobane, the commander in chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, talks to Al-Monitor in an exclusive interview about how the Kurds in northeastern Syria have maintained a complicated network of alliances and why the prospect of Turkish intervention in the region could trigger another war.

Syria

Erdogan’s government in panic over risk of electoral defeats

President Erdogan and his party are waging an election campaign of unprecedented vitriol and polarization, including a strong dose of religion, the main driver of which is the fear of losing big cities amid the country’s economic crisis.

Turkey

Turkey tightens the screws on Saudi Arabia over Khashoggi murder

Interpol has issued “red notices,” on Ankara’s request, for a total of 20 Saudi citizens suspected of involvement in the killing of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Saudi Arabia

Erdogan uses New Zealand terror video at campaign rallies

International and Turkish actors criticize President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for using New Zealand mosque massacre video at his campaign rallies for the March 31 local elections.

Turkey

Erdogan took Christchurch shooting to campaign trail

Erdogan’s campaign uses brutal images at election rallies of the New Zealand terrorist’s footage and hateful rhetoric, deepening the rift within Turkish society and distancing Turkey further from the West.

Turkey

All eyes on Turkey's 3 biggest cities as local elections approach

Turks suffering under 20% inflation and 13.5% unemployment may punish President Erdogan's coalition in March 31 elections in the nation's three largest cities.

Turkey

Intel: Why Turkey might want the US to think it’s working with Iran

Turkey

Russia seeks to hold reluctant Turkey accountable in Syria

Turkey once again finds itself in the middle in the Syrian crisis, trying to reassure the opposition groups it supports while keeping Russia happy.

Syria

Intel: How Syria policy zigzags are confounding US allies

The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that the Donald Trump administration continues to walk back its pullout from Syria and is now considering leaving as many as 1,000 US troops in the country.

Syria

Tal Afar wary and wedged between Iran, Turkey and PKK

The Turkmen-majority city of Tal Afar remains sparsely populated and wary of outsiders a year and a half after being taken from the Islamic State. Geopolitical considerations and the nearby presence of the PKK, the Syrian border, the desert and mountains mean that operations continue in the area despite apparent calm.

Iraq