Syria and Turkey

Turkish Navy ships vists Syrian Latakia port after NATO summit in first since civil war - analysis

The visit comes on the heels of Turkey hosting a major NATO summit, which Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa attended.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Illustrative: Warships of the Turkish Naval Forces sailed through the Bosphorus as part of the Teknofest 'Blue Homeland' event in Istanbul, showcasing naval power and maritime technology on August 24, 2025 in Istanbul, Türkiye.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa attend a press conference at joint press conference at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, February 4, 2025; illustrative.

Turkey, Syria, Jordan unveil Gulf-Europe rail corridor as Ankara pushes alternative trade routes

The proposed network would run from Europe through Turkey, continue across Syrian territory, and extend into Jordan, creating a continuous land bridge between Mediterranean ports and Gulf markets.

|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian meets with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, September 1, 2025.

'Turkey is the new Iran': The growing threat Erdogan poses to Israel - analysis

Middle East expert Yoni Ben Menachem warns that behind Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statements lies a structured plan to build a new Sunni axis that could replace Iran’s regional role.

|ByMAARIV ONLINE, TOBIAS SIEGAL
Önder Sığırcıkoğlu, in the custody of Turkey's National Intelligence Organization.

Turkey’s rearrest of fugitive revives mystery of Syrian defector’s disappearance

The capture of a convicted kidnapper is renewing scrutiny of how two Syrian defectors were abducted in Turkey and handed to Assad’s security apparatus.

|ByRIZIK ALABI/THE MEDIA LINE

Talk of Ankara-Damascus detente driven mostly by domestic politics

‘Politics in the post Arab Spring and post 9/11 [eras] has changed to become much more fragmented and transactional. … No country means [what it says] in absolute terms.’

SEPTEMBER 12, 2022ByMOHAMMAD AL-KASSIM/THE MEDIA LINE
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan waves as he attends a debate marking the reconvene of the parliament after a summer recess at the Turkish Parliament in Ankara, October 1, 2014.

Behind Turkey's ever-changing ties: Will Turkey invade Syria again?

Analysts see Erdogan as a Muslim Brotherhood true believer who can, at best, move closer to the West only on temporary shared interests.

AUGUST 24, 2022By ERIC R. MANDEL
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan pose for a photo on July 19 before a Tehran meeting of leaders from the three guarantor states of the Astana process, designed to find a peace settlement in Syria.

Turkey's Erdogan softening Syria rhetoric with eye toward upcoming election

A faltering economy has forced Ankara to improve relations with other countries.

AUGUST 23, 2022ByKRISTINA JOVANOVSKI/THE MEDIA LINE
TURKISH PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of his ruling AK Party during a meeting at the parliament, last month.

Three Syrian soldiers killed, six wounded in Turkish airstrike

Turkey has carried out numerous military operations in northern Syria since 2016, mainly targeting the Kurdish YPG militia.

AUGUST 16, 2022ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS
A motorbike burns after an airstrike in this screen grab taken from a social media video said to be taken in Idlib, Syria on July 16, 2019

Turkey accused of killing Kurdish female commander in Syria

The attack by Turkey, using an armed drone, appears to be the latest attempt by Ankara to attack US-backed anti-ISIS forces.

JULY 28, 2022BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Syrian Democratic Forces flag flutters on a damaged building in the village of Baghouz, Deir Al Zor province, Syria, on March 23, 2019

Turkey accused of killing civilian tourists in bombardment in Iraq

Turkey has been accused of massacring civilian tourists in northern Iraq.

JULY 21, 2022BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A Turkish flag, with the New and the Suleymaniye mosques in the background, flies on a passenger ferry in Istanbul, Turkey, April 11, 2019.

Latest ISIS leader targeted by US drone near Turkish border - analysis

The leader of ISIS in Syria, one of the top five leaders of the militant group, has been killed in a US air strike, the Pentagon said

JULY 13, 2022BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Turkish soldiers deployed last month in the center of Afrin, a Syrian town bordering on Turkey

Turkey uses Iran to back new Syrian invasion, blackmailing NATO at same time - analysis

By backing Ankara, Tehran expects it will have free rein in southern Syria to threaten Israel.

JUNE 28, 2022BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a meeting of his ruling AK Party via video link in Ankara, Turkey March 4, 2021.

Five wounded as Turkey hit by rockets fired from Syria

The five people wounded in Turkey, in the Karkamis district of Gaziantep province, were taken to hospital for treatment.

MAY 12, 2022ByREUTERS
A view of the Syrian town of Kobani is pictured from the Turkish border town of Suruc, in Sanliurfa province, Turkey, October 31, 2019.

Tension over refugees takes center stage in Turkey ahead of elections

Both the Turkish president and the main opposition have said they want Syrians to return to their war-torn country.

MAY 12, 2022ByKRISTINA JOVANOVSKI/THE MEDIA LINE
TURKISH PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses supporters during a ceremony in Istanbul, last year.