menu_open Columnists
Amberin Zaman

Amberin Zaman

Al Monitor

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

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

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

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

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

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

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

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

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

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

Chobani founder’s football foray sparks nationalist ire in Turkey

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 2

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

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

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 3

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

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

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

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

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

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

Al Monitor

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

Al Monitor

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

Al Monitor

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 2

Al Monitor

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

Al Monitor

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

Al Monitor

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

Al Monitor

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

Al Monitor

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

Al Monitor

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

Al Monitor

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

Al Monitor

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

Al Monitor

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

Al Monitor

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

Al Monitor

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

Al Monitor

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

Al Monitor

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

Al Monitor

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

Al Monitor

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

Al Monitor

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

Al Monitor

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

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

US Syria envoy Barrack to meet Iraqi Kurdish PM Barzani in Erbil

Tom Barrack is likely to also meet with SDF chief Mazloum Kobane, sources told Al-Monitor.

27.06.2025 3

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

Iran empties Evin prison, reports fatalities after Israeli strike

Iran says it relocated inmates after the strike, while Trump blames both sides for breaking the truce.

24.06.2025 10

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

Armenia's Pashinyan, Turkey's Erdogan to hold 'historic' talks amid Iran-Israel war

The meeting comes as both countries weigh the fallout of a widening regional conflict and rising tensions along their shared border with Iran.

18.06.2025 4

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

Armenia's Pashinya, Turkey's Erdogan to hold 'historic' talks amid Iran-Israel war

The meeting comes as both countries weigh the fallout of a widening regional conflict and rising tensions along their shared border with Iran.

18.06.2025 20

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

US troops in Syria's Kurdish northeast will remain in single base near Rmeilan oil fields

The consolidation comes as tensions rise between Iran and Israel, heightening risks for remaining US forces.

18.06.2025 4

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

Families of Kurdish journalists slain in suspected Turkish drone strike in Syria want their remains

Ankara’s refusal to repatriate the journalists' remains underscores the political stakes of acknowledging the drone strike.

07.06.2025 20

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

Ankara’s direct talks with Syrian Kurds began last year in Europe, continue in Turkey

The talks are part of a sweeping effort to end Turkey’s decades-long war with the PKK and reshape Ankara’s relationship with Kurdish-led forces in...

03.06.2025 3

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

Syrian Kurds, Damascus agree to prisoner swap following normalization talks

Nearly 470 prisoners are set to be exchanged between Syrian Kurdish forces and Damascus as part of a deal reached after high-level talks.

02.06.2025 6

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

US Syria envoy Barrack calls Kurdish SDF chief Kobane as Turkey mulls meeting

Sources tell Al-Monitor that Turkish officials have proposed a high-level meeting with SDF commander Mazlum Kobane in Damascus, contingent on the...

30.05.2025 10

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

EU sanctions Sunni factions accused of violence against Syria’s Alawites, Kurds

As former rebel leaders take positions in the new Syrian government, Kurdish officials warn of renewed threats to their autonomy.

29.05.2025 5

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

Turkey's Erdogan angles to retain power despite denying plans for third term

As Turkey's president touts democratic reform, critics say he’s laying the groundwork to bypass term limits.

29.05.2025 20

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

India wages economic war on Turkey for supporting Pakistan in Kashmir

Turkish business interests are taking a hit as India retaliates against Ankara’s backing of Pakistan on Kashmir.

16.05.2025 4

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

Syrian Kurdish negotiator Yusuf: No agreement yet with Damascus on Tishreen Dam

President Donald Trump’s meeting with Syria’s interim president has sparked Kurdish fears of being sidelined in future talks.

15.05.2025 4

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

PKK ends 40-year war against Turkey, vows to pursue Kurdish rights

The disarmament brings an end to one of the Middle East’s longest-running insurgencies, with the PKK vowing to pursue its goals through political...

12.05.2025 10

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

PKK holds congress in response to Ocalan's call to end war with Turkey

The PKK announced that it had held a congress in Iraqi Kurdistan, most likely to decide on disbanding after its leader's call to end its insurgency.

09.05.2025 8

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

Turkey’s Erdogan rebukes Syrian Kurds over decentralization calls, but keeps tone mild

The Turkish president's restrained comments hint at an evolving strategy toward Kurdish forces in Syria.

30.04.2025 3

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

For Syria’s minorities, life under Kurds remains safest bet

Despite promises of reform from Syria’s new Islamist-turned-president, minorities fear retribution — and find uneasy refuge under Kurdish rule.

29.04.2025 3

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

Syria’s Kurds reap benefits of Erdogan’s 'terror free Turkey' as Ankara halts attacks

Turkey’s softened stance signals a strategic shift in its approach to Syria’s Kurds and the PKK.

26.04.2025 20

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

Turkey stops electricity sales to Iraq after Baghdad fails to settle $70M+ bill

Turkey halted electricity exports to Iraq over unpaid dues, straining ties as Baghdad faces a summer power crunch and unresolved Kurdish oil disputes.

24.04.2025 6

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

Nightlife rocks Raqqa as Syria’s Islamist leaders navigate power

A reopened nightclub in Raqqa spotlights the uneasy balance Syria’s new Islamist-led government is striking between ideology and public life.

22.04.2025 20

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

Syria's Kurds say Trump aid cuts are feeding radicalism in ISIS camps

In an interview at Syria’s Roj camp, the head of intelligence for the Women’s Protection Units warns that US funding cuts are fueling a resurgence...

16.04.2025 3

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

US in hurry for nuclear deal, Iran says after high-stakes talks

The United States wants a nuclear agreement "as soon as possible", Iran said after rare talks on Saturday, as US President Donald Trump threatens...

12.04.2025 7

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman

Israel expanding Gaza offensive, seizes key corridor

Israel said Saturday it planned to expand its military offensive in Gaza after seizing a new corridor as part of a broader effort to take large parts...

12.04.2025 6

Al Monitor

Amberin Zaman