... the political track without mutual concessions
For the past year or two, the situation in Syria has retreated into the shadow of global crises, all exacerbated by the standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine. The recent tragedy that befell Turkey and the five provinces in the neighboring Syria has once again drawn the attention of the international community not only to the loss of thousands of lives and colossal destruction but also to the extent to which these natural disasters may affect the prospects of national reconciliation in Syria and rapprochement between these two nations with a complex history of relations. While being ...
... conflict has also
exacerbated
the food crisis in Syria.
The humanitarian crisis is likely to worsen due to the devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria in February 2023. As of February 10, 2023, the death toll from the natural disaster in Turkey
exceeded
17,000; more than 70,000 people were affected. At least 1,347 people died in Syria, and more than 2000 people were hurt. The catastrophe also led to the destruction of thousands of buildings; about 300,000 Syrians have been forced to leave their homes.
The number of Syrians in need of humanitarian assistance is constantly increasing.
According to the UN
, in 2020 11.1 million people, in 2021 — 13.4 million Syrians, ...
... headquarters of the terrorist People’s Defense Units (YPG) in the Kobanî district of Syria. According to the Minister, the hands-on perpetrator of the Beyoğlu attack confessed during interrogation that she had been sent by PKK/YPG leaders illegally to Turkey via Syrian Afrin.
Alexey Khlebnikov:
Changing Roles: Why Countries of Middle East May be Future’s Best-Suited Mediators?
In retaliation for the attack, Turkey initiated airstrikes on Kurdish left-wing radical bases in Syria. According to the ...
... Turkey into Syria that Turkey
closed on April 23
; or else, it may block NATO warships’ passage into the Black Sea no matter how hard NATO tries to push Turkey into revoking its prohibition under various pretexts. Finally, another trump card may be Turkey’s refusal to accede to anti-Russian sanctions.
In the current situation, a conflict with Turkey may turn out to be too costly for Moscow, while direct opposition to Turkey’s plans (primarily if Damascus insists on it) may result in Ankara changing its approaches ...
... is expected to be signed by the end of 2021.
In October 2020
, Turkey conducted first independent practice firing, meaning that the regiment is at least partially combat-ready as of now.
The breakneck speed of striking a deal with Russia, as well as Turkey’s sudden interest in it, were certainly spurred on by Ankara’s deteriorating relations with the United States after the attempted coup. It is hard to say what kind of response Ankara expected to its accusations and demands—in particular, the extradition of Fethullah Gülen, who was accused of masterminding the attempted coup—but repentance was certainly not forthcoming, and the attempt at blackmail by purchasing S-400 prompted pure rage. It was ...
... province is about 4 million people). In this regard, Guterres
called
for a one-year extension of cross-border operations. Ankara, Washington and a number of Western countries need to extend the mechanism of cross-border operations in Idlib through Turkey. Syria itself, as well as the states supporting it, including Russia, believe that all the necessary humanitarian aid can proceed through interaction with the de jure Syrian government in Damascus. The main task for Damascus, on the one hand, and ...
... optimize its
Afro-Eurasian “balancing” act
between West and East, the former comprising the U.S./EU while the latter encompassing China vis-a-vis BRI; India with respect to the possibility of jointly leading a New Non-Aligned Movement (
Neo-NAM
); Turkey insofar as managing their “friendly competition” especially in West Asia, the South Caucasus, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), and perhaps soon in Central Asia as well; and Africa when it comes to scaling up the export of Moscow’s “democratic ...
... this small province could be pivotal to the future of the larger stalemate that has left the United States, Europe, and Russia locked in an unwinnable status quo.
Russia has said that it plans to veto an extension of cross-border UN aid delivered from Turkey, authorised under UN Security Council resolution 2533, which is up for renewal in July, potentially depriving the population of a vital lifeline amid desperate conditions. Moscow says that all aid should be channelled from Damascus via three new ...
... to design any exit strategy over the five years of its immediate involvement in the Syrian conflict. The degree of Russia’s influence on the Damascus regime is also an open question. Is the dog wagging the tail or is the tail wagging the dog?
Could Turkey be the principal beneficiary? Establishing buffer zones in Idlib and in Syria’s northern provinces is Erdogan’s unquestionable achievement. Yet to what degree is Ankara really in control of the situation in Idlib? This continuously festering ...
... Higher School of Economics are holding an online seminar «New Regional Dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean?».
The event will focus on the competitive and inclusive approaches to security in the Eastern Mediterranean, opportunities and limitations for Turkey's foreign policy activization, implications of the new US administration policy regarding the Eastern Mediterranean for the regional dynamics.
Andrey Kortunov, Director General, Russian International Affairs Council, and Sergey Karaganov, Dean,...
