The fate of Kurds whom the U.S. relied upon to battle the Islamic State continued to roil President Trump’s hope for a Syria troop pullout Tuesday, with Turkey’s leader rejecting outright Washington’s demand that it hold back on attacking Kurdish forces after American forces depart.
In an op-ed published by The New York Times on Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan praised US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw American troops from Syria and said that Turkey ‘is the only country with the power and commitment’ to protect the interests of Washington, the international community and the Syrian people.
US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said Sunday that the Trump administration’s Israeli-Palestinian peace plan – the ‘deal of the century’ – will be presented ‘within the next several months.’
Turkey vowed on Monday that the fight against Islamic State would not be slowed by the U.S. withdrawal from Syria, where Ankara-backed rebels reinforced their positions around the potential flashpoint town of Manbij.
Turkey deployed hundreds of troops near a Kurdish stronghold in Syria Sunday, in the wake of the United States announcing plans to withdraw from the country.
The State Department says the U.S. has proposed the sale of a $3.5 billion Patriot missile system to Turkey.
Russia, Iran and Turkey are close to agreement on composition of a Syrian constitutional committee that could pave the way for drafting a new charter followed by elections, diplomats said on Monday.
Turkey’s leader said Monday he received ‘positive answers’ from President Donald Trump on the situation in northeastern Syria, where Turkey has threatened to launch a new operation against American-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters.
Turkey will start a new military operation in Syria east of the Euphrates river ‘in a few days,’ Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday, a move that could further complicate relations with the United States.
A new decision by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will prevent Christian refugees from Burma’s Chin State from extending their refugee status beyond December 31st, 2019.
Turkish and American troops could begin conducting joint patrols in a matter of days around the northern Syrian city of Manbij within the coming days, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East said Sunday.
After releasing pastor Andrew Brunson just days ago, Turkish authorities detained another U.S. missionary.
Russia and Turkey agreed Thursday to allow opposition groups more time to exit Syria’s western Idlib province as they work to establish a demilitarized zone, the United Nations said.
Pastor Andrew Brunson returned to the United States Saturday after two years of imprisonment and detention in Turkey.
American Pastor Andrew Brunson may return to the U.S. soon after a secret deal was made between the U.S. and Turkey, NBC News reported on Thursday.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that the release of U.S. evangelical pastor Andrew Brunson by a Turkish court at his next hearing on Friday would be an important step and the right thing for Turkey to do.
Turkish media are reporting that a lawyer for an American pastor at the center of a dispute between Turkey and the United States plans to petition Turkey’s highest court for his client’s release.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said a Turkish court, not politicians, will decide the fate of an American pastor whose detention on terrorism charges has roiled relations between Ankara and Washington.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that he had struck a deal with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to table a planned offensive against the Syrian rebel stronghold of Idlib, a last-minute agreement that led all sides of the 7-year-old conflict to breathe a sigh of relief despite a host of unanswered questions about whether the so-called demilitarized zone will hold.
The United Nations is warning of catastrophic consequences facing civilians trapped in Syria’s Idlib province.