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Former Assad mouthpiece Al-Thawra to test limits of Syria's new rulers

Despite the fall of Assad, Al-Thawra struggles to shed its propaganda legacy, as new editor Nour al-Din al-Ismail works to professionalize the...

21.10.2025 2

Amberin Zaman

Syria's business elite embrace Sharaa, push for Caesar sanctions repeal

Amid lingering fears and ongoing sanctions, Syrians are beginning to see signs of recovery and a fragile new beginning.

17.10.2025 2

Amberin Zaman

Turkey scrambles to contain fallout after Fidan says KAAN jet dependent on US

Critics say the admission underscores vulnerabilities in Turkey’s armed forces and highlights the challenges of achieving independence from...

29.09.2025 4

Amberin Zaman

Trump-Erdogan summit exudes love but few breakthroughs for Turkey

US President Donald Trump had raised expectations during a joint news conference in which he showered praise on Turkish President Recep Tayyip...

26.09.2025 4

Amberin Zaman

Trump says Turkey sanctions could end 'very soon' at White House meeting with Erdogan

During the meeting, Trump suggested the dispute over Turkey’s F-35 fighter jets could be resolved quickly as sanctions discussions continue.

25.09.2025 4

Amberin Zaman

Turkey touts gas, trade deals ahead of Erdogan-Trump summit

The flurry of agreements comes as the Turkish leaders looks to press the US president on fighter jets and Kurdish policy in Thursday's meeting.

24.09.2025 2

Amberin Zaman

UK’s top spy uses farewell from Turkey to lure Russian recruits, sparks fury

The outgoing MI6 chief called on Russians with "truths to share" to contact the agency, sparking diplomatic unease just days before Erdogan’s...

23.09.2025 3

Amberin Zaman

Turkey, Egypt join forces for first EastMed drills in 13 years

The joint exercises signal a thaw in Ankara-Cairo relations after years of tension over regional rivalries and past political disputes.

19.09.2025 5

Amberin Zaman

UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen steps down after six years

Pedersen is leaving as Syria continues to grapple with political upheaval, humanitarian crises and ongoing conflict.

18.09.2025 5

Amberin Zaman

Israel threatens Hamas 'wherever they are' as Qatar hosts summit

By Andrew Mills, Jana Choukeir and Simon LewisDOHA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he didn't rule out further ...

15.09.2025 4

Amberin Zaman

Iran's uranium-enrichment programme must be dismantled, US's Wright says

By Francois MurphyVIENNA (Reuters) -Iran's uranium-enrichment programme must be "completely dismantled", U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told the ...

15.09.2025 5

Amberin Zaman

Israel attack aimed to halt Gaza talks, Qatar emir tells emergency summit

Qatar's emir accused Israel of trying to derail Gaza ceasefire efforts with its attack on Hamas in Doha, as Arab and Muslim leaders held emergency...

15.09.2025 7

Amberin Zaman

Ankara shrugs as Greece, Cyprus try to block Turkey from $170B EU defense scheme

The European Union faces fresh tensions as Greece resists Turkey’s effort to tap into a $170 billion defense fund, highlighting long-standing...

15.09.2025 4

Amberin Zaman

UK-based oil firm victim of standoff between Damascus, Syria’s Kurds

Gulfsands Managing Director John Bell outlines his company’s plans and Syria’s energy prospects in an exclusive interview.

06.09.2025 8

Amberin Zaman

Turkey’s Erdogan holds hands with Iran’s Pezeshkian, sparks online buzz

A short video of Erdogan holding hands with Iran’s Pezeshkian at the SCO summit in China has captured global attention and stirred heated online...

03.09.2025 7

Amberin Zaman

Netanyahu makes ill-timed Armenian genocide nod as Yerevan courts Turkey

Ankara accused the Israeli premier of exploiting history for political gain after he became the first Israeli leader to use the term genocide for the...

27.08.2025 8

Amberin Zaman

Chobani founder’s football foray sparks nationalist ire in Turkey

Billionaire yogurt entrepreneur Hamdi Ulukaya has drawn criticism from Turkish nationalists after addressing citizens with a word seen by some as...

26.08.2025 5

Amberin Zaman

Iraqi Kurdish factional feuds erupt anew with violent arrest of Lahur Talabani

Violent clashes in Sulaimaniyah underscore long-standing political tensions and a scramble for influence in Iraqi Kurdistan.

22.08.2025 4

Amberin Zaman

Turkey’s parliamentary body on solving Kurdish issue bars Kurdish language speech

Two Kurdish women invited to address the parliamentary committee were told they could not speak Kurdish during the session.

21.08.2025 2

Amberin Zaman

Syria state media's Kurdish-language launch: tactical move or real shift?

SANA's foray into the Kurdish language is largely symbolic and part of Damascus’ efforts to project an image of compromise amid tense negotiations.

20.08.2025 6

Amberin Zaman

Iran’s Pezeshkian seeks assurances in Armenia as Yerevan, Baku nominate Trump for Nobel

Tehran is concerned that the new Armenia-Azerbaijan corridor, announced in an agreement brokered by Washington earlier this month, threatens its...

18.08.2025 4

Amberin Zaman

Will Turkey follow through on threats to attack Syria's Kurds?

This week we unpack the stakes around Ankara's threats to take military action alongside Damascus against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

14.08.2025 8

Amberin Zaman

Hundreds evacuated in northwestern Turkey as authorities fight wildfires

ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Firefighters in Turkey are battling wildfires in the centre of the northwestern province of Canakkale, fanned by strong winds, and...

11.08.2025 3

Amberin Zaman

Syria vows to investigate footage of Sweida hospital killing

DAMASCUS (Reuters) -Syria's interior ministry said on Monday that it would investigate footage showing men in military fatigues shooting an unarmed...

11.08.2025 4

Amberin Zaman

Armenia seeks to allay Iran's fears as US-backed land route with Azerbaijan advances

The planned corridor aims to connect key players in the South Caucasus but has raised tensions with Iran over access and control.

11.08.2025 2

Amberin Zaman

Trump poised to oversee historic 'peace deal' between Armenia, Azerbaijan

Turkey stands to gain direct access to Central Asia through a proposed corridor that cuts across Armenia’s southern border.

08.08.2025 7

Amberin Zaman

Turkey-France rivalry disrupts US-led mediation between Damascus, Syrian Kurds

Ankara is pressuring Damascus to cancel talks in Paris, fearing French support will tilt negotiations in favor of the Kurds, regional officials...

07.08.2025 9

Amberin Zaman

Kurdish militants return abducted Turkish agents as fragile peace push continues

The handover is seen as a confidence-building measure, as Erdogan seeks a deal with militants to secure Kurdish support for extending his presidency...

04.08.2025 2

Amberin Zaman

US envoy, Syria FM meet in Paris, seek Kurdish integration deal

The Paris talks come amid stalled efforts to integrate Kurdish-led forces into a unified Syrian army and rising tensions in Suwayda.

25.07.2025 5

Amberin Zaman

Syria turns to Turkey for military support as US envoy urges strategy rethink

The move deepens Ankara’s influence with the new government as Kurdish forces in Syria's northeast face new pressure to integrate with Syrian army.

23.07.2025 5

Amberin Zaman

Suwayda violence boosts Kurds’ leverage as US Syria envoy, SDF chief meet

Syria's Kurds remain hesitant about integration with Damascus as interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa struggles with unrest in Suwayda.

22.07.2025 10

Amberin Zaman

Mediators working to bridge gaps in faltering Gaza truce talks

Stuttering Gaza ceasefire talks entered a second week on Monday, with meditators seeking to close the gap between Israel and Hamas, as more than 20...

14.07.2025 4

Amberin Zaman

'One road to Damascus': Syria's Kurds recoil as US envoy urges deal with Sharaa

Tom Barrack’s call for Kurdish integration under a central Syrian government reflects a shift in US policy, drawing concern from Kurdish leaders...

14.07.2025 30

Amberin Zaman

Turkey's spy chief heads for Iraq as PKK militants prepare to disarm

The planned weapons handover marks a major step in Turkey’s quiet bid to end the PKK’s decades-long insurgency and secure Kurdish political...

08.07.2025 7

Amberin Zaman

Why peace with Turkey has come to mean survival for Armenia’s Pashinyan

As Yerevan edges closer to the West, regional power struggles and domestic unrest threaten to derail the Armenian leader’s strategy.

03.07.2025 7

Amberin Zaman

Turkey jails satirical magazine staff over alleged Prophet Muhammad cartoon

Four staff members of the satirical weekly LeMan were arrested and charged with “publicly insulting religious values” amid protests against the...

02.07.2025 6

Amberin Zaman

Turkey gives drought-stricken Iraq more water in boost to PM Sudani

The agreement is expected to ease tensions and advance a joint infrastructure project linking Iraq’s Faw port to Turkey.

02.07.2025 6

Amberin Zaman

Over 14 million people could die from US foreign aid cuts: study

More than 14 million of the world's most vulnerable people, a third of them small children, could die by 2030 because of the Trump administration's...

01.07.2025 3

Amberin Zaman

Turkey's Erdogan vows justice amid rage over alleged Prophet Muhammad cartoon

A controversial cartoon has sparked mass protests, arrests and threats against a leading Turkish satire magazine.

01.07.2025 5

Amberin Zaman

UN officials say new Gaza aid system leads to mass killings

United Nations officials on Friday said a US- and Israeli-backed distribution system in Gaza was leading to mass killings of people seeking aid and...

27.06.2025 4