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Erdogan Praises France’s Diplomatic Reengagement in Post-Assad Syria

This is Beirut, 2024-12-18 14:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed France's decision to send diplomats to Damascus after the fall of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in a phone call with President Emmanuel Macron, the presidency said Wednesday. A French delegation arrived Tuesday at the country's embassy in Damascus, the first visit of diplomats from France since ...

Assad's Fall Opens Path for US Strikes on ISIS

This is Beirut, 2024-12-18 12:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Bashar al-Assad's overthrow has cleared the way for US strikes against the Islamic State group in areas previously shielded by Syrian and Russian air defenses – but the jihadists may also try to exploit the vacuum left by his fall. The militant group,often referred to as ISIS or IS, rose out of the chaos of the Syrian civil war to seize swathes ...

All (Diplomatic) Roads Lead to Damascus…

Nidal Ayoub, 2024-12-17 19:16 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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This influx appears oddly under the auspices of all the imaginable paradoxes that Syria embodies: international sanctions, foreign interferences (Turkish interventions, Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights, etc.), and not least, the fact that talks are being held with the ruling coalition of rebels now in power, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham ...

After Assad’s Fall, Erdogan Enjoys Moment ‘In the Sun'

This is Beirut, 2024-12-17 12:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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After backing the rebels who overthrew Bashar al-Assad and brokering a key Horn of Africa peace deal, Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan has boosted his international standing, leaving him well-placed to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, analysts say. Although Turkey was not directly involved in the Syrian strongman's overthrow, it has long ...

EU Chief Holds Talks on Syria With Turkey’s Erdogan

This is Beirut, 2024-12-17 11:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday began talks with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a key visit following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. The talks in the capital Ankara come after the EU Commission announced the launch of an "air bridge" operation to deliver an initial 50 tonnes of health supplies to Syria ...

HTS Leader Jolani Says Syrian Rebel Factions Will Be ‘Disbanded'

This is Beirut, 2024-12-17 09:10 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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Syria's rebel factions will be "disbanded," the head of the group that led the ouster of Bashar al-Assad has pledged, as the former president denounced the country's new rulers as "terrorists". Assad fled Syria on December 8, as rebels led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) captured the capital Damascus, ...

Turkish Rescuers Search Saydnaya Prison in Syria

This is Beirut, 2024-12-16 21:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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A large team of Turkish rescuers began searching Syria's infamous Saydnaya prison near Damascus Monday, trying to check for any hidden underground cells, its director said. Located just north of the Syrian capital, the prison has become a symbol of the rights abuses of the Assad clan, especially since the Syrian civil war erupted in ...

Syria's Kurds Call for End to All Military Operations in the Country

This is Beirut, 2024-12-16 13:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Syria's Kurds, who run a semi-autonomous administration in the northeast, called Monday for an end to all fighting in the country and extended a hand to the new authorities in Damascus. Hussein Othman, the head of the administration's executive council, called for "a stop to military operations over the entire Syrian territory in order to begin a ...

Israel Seeking to 'Expand Borders' Through Golan Plan: Turkey

This is Beirut, 2024-12-16 12:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Turkey on Monday denounced an Israeli plan to double the population living in the occupied and annexed Golan Heights as a bid to "expand its borders". "This decision is a new stage in Israel's goal of expanding its borders through occupation," the foreign ministry said in a statement condemning the move. Israel's government on Sunday approved a ...

Syria’s Future and the Shifting Tectonics

Charles Chartouni, 2024-12-16 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Syria’s political plight is at the crossroads between potential disintegration, renewed civil instabilities and eventual reconciliation, which helps overcome the bitter legacy of a long-haul civil war. The downfall of the Assad regime is of good omen since it sets an end to the excruciating travails bequeathed by a bloody dictatorship and its ...

Syria: From Euphoria to Growing Concern

Elie Ziadé, 2024-12-15 15:30 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Turkey HTS Bashar al-Assad Syria

The fall of Bashar al-Assad took everyone by surprise, almost no one saw it coming. Yet, it was met with joy. Scenes of celebration across Syria, as well as in countries hosting millions of Syrian nationals and refugees, along with the shared joy of other populations — notably in Lebanon — reflect the harsh rule that the Assad dynasty had ...

Turkey Ready to Provide Military Support to New Syria Government

This is Beirut, 2024-12-15 12:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Turkey is ready to provide military support to Syria's new Islamist-led government set up by rebels who overthrew Bashar al-Assad if it requests it, Defense Minister Yasar Guler said on Sunday. He said the new leadership should be given "a chance" and that Turkey was "ready to provide the necessary support if the new ...

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