Omer Ozkizilcik

Is another round of fighting in Idlib on the horizon?

After the relative calm in Idlib, the lack of a political settlement could mean more fighting is on the way. This is what it might look like.

Macron's Neo-Napoleonic policies versus realpolitik from the Chancellor

The French President has found himself out of his depth and Germany has once again shown that it has the upper hand in guiding European Union policy.

What would the eastern Mediterranean look like if Turkey was in the EU?

The European Union would likely be a productive mediator and not an antagonist as it is now. But it's not too late for the bloc to play a positive role.

The West's silence on the night of the defeated coup continues until today

The West has not learned from the mistakes it made during Turkey's turmoil on the night of the failed coup.

Is this the end of the Turkey-Russia relationship in Syria?

The killing of Turkish soldiers, even if perpetrated by the Assad regime, is a watershed moment for Turkey-Russia relations.

Soleimani’s death proves the US has friends in Syria, but it’s not the YPG

The most outspoken celebratory messages for the killing of the controversial Iranian general came from the Turkey-backed Syrian National Amy, while the YPG-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces remain silent.

Russia plants the seeds of humanitarian crisis by aiding Assad in Idlib

Regime fighters are encroaching on a demilitarised zone agreed to by both Moscow and Ankara. By pressing ahead, civilians are put at risk and new refugee crisis will be in the making.

The deal between the Syrian regime and the YPG is coming apart at the seams

The Syrian regime and Russia were under the impression that the YPG is on the ropes, but that turned out to be a strategic miscalculation as the YPG is still unwilling to make major concessions. This means the YPG-Syrian regime deal is falling apart.

Turkey aims to hand northeastern Syria back to its people

Turkey's operation has been widely condemned in the West, and mostly by those who don't understand Syria, the region, or its people.

White House move means a return to normalcy in Syria

Trump's announcement in Syria could ease tensions between the US and Turkey and facilitate dialogue between the two long-standing NATO allies.

Controlling the discourse around the US-Turkey safe-zone deal in Syria

Specific details of the Turkey-US agreement over safe-zones in Syria have not been officially announced, but there is hardly an entity which hasn't presented its own version about what happened behind closed doors.

US policy in Syria: A house of cards

The US may have to go back to the drawing board for its Syria policy if it forces Turkey into another operation in Syria.