The Latest Breaking News from Ankara

Sweden deports man with alleged ties to Kurdish militant group

Sweden on Friday deported a Kurdish man with alleged links to Kurdish militant group the PKK, a government minister told Swedish Television, as Ankara keeps up pressure on the Nordic country to meet its demands in return for NATO membership.

Reuters · Dec 3, 2022

US-led Forces Resume Normal Patrols in Syria

A US-led coalition fighting militants resumed regular patrols in Kurdish-held areas of northeast Syria on Friday after earlier Turkish airstrikes, an AFP correspondent and a Kurdish military source said. Patrols were reduced following the Turkish strikes that began on November 20 in Kurdish-controlled areas of Syria and Iraq, in response…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Dec 3, 2022

Türkiye: Russia, US Failed to Clear Militia from Syria Border

Türkiye’s foreign minister charged Friday that the United States and Russia have failed to meet promises to clear Syria’s border with Türkiye from Kurdish militants, forcing Ankara to intervene. Speaking at the Mediterranean Dialogues forum in Rome, Italy, Mevlut Cavusoglu also said Türkiye was seeking reconciliation with Syria’s government to…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Dec 2, 2022

Turkey says Sweden's steps for Nato bid positive but not enough

ISTANBUL: Turkey said on Wednesday Sweden's new government was more determined to address Ankara's security concerns in return for Nato membership but called for "concrete steps".

Bangkok Post · Nov 30, 2022

Türkiye: More Steps Needed for Nod to Nordic States’ NATO Bid

Sweden and Finland have made some progress in meeting Ankara's security concerns but still need to undertake “concrete steps” to win Türkiye’s approval for their NATO membership bids, the Turkish foreign minister said Wednesday. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg underlined that “it is time to welcome them as full-fledged…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Nov 30, 2022

Seven US Betrayals of Kurds within a Century… Will It Fail Them Again in Syria?

If the reaction to Turkish incursions or continued aerial bombardment against Kurdish targets in northern Syria does not meet Kurdish expectations and demands, it wouldn’t be the first time Kurds are betrayed by the US or the West. In the past century, the global and regional balance of power has…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Nov 30, 2022

'We humiliated ourselves': Sweden’s bid to join NATO meets continued resistance from Turkey

May 18, 2022, was a big day for Sweden. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and more than 200 years of non-military alignment, the Nordic country finally broke with tradition and applied for NATO membership along with Finland. But what was supposed to be an easy accession has proven to be…

France 24 · Nov 28, 2022

Türkiye, Egypt to Re-Appoint Ambassadors ‘in Coming Months’, Says Cavusoglu

Türkiye and Egypt may restore full diplomatic ties and re-appoint ambassadors mutually "in coming months," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday. Ankara and Cairo may re-start diplomatic consultations led by deputy foreign ministers as part of a normalization process "soon," Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara. After years of…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Nov 28, 2022

Turkish Forces Nearly Ready for a Syria Ground Operation, Say Officials

Türkiye’s army needs just a few days to be ready for a ground incursion into northern Syria and such a decision may come at a cabinet meeting on Monday, Turkish officials said, as Turkish forces bombarded a Kurdish group across the border. Howitzers fired daily from Türkiye have struck Kurdish…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Nov 28, 2022

Syrian Kurds Say They Have Stopped Operations against ISIS

The commander of the main US-backed Kurdish-led force in Syria said Saturday they have halted operations against the ISIS group due to Turkish attacks on northern Syria over the past week. Mazloum Abdi of the Syrian Democratic Forces told reporters that after nearly a week of Turkish airstrikes on northern…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Nov 26, 2022