Turkey

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Russia

Military & Security

Politics

In an interview with Russian state media, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev dismissed as "political speculation" reports of the establishment of a permanent Turkish military base in Azerbaijan, TASS reported on Dec. 18.

Azerbaijan, Russia: Aliyev Says No Need for Turkish Military Base in Azerbaijan

Syria

The Turkish-backed Syrian National Army, or SNA, ended a U.S.-mediated truce with Kurdish militias in Syria that had led to the withdrawal of Kurdish forces from Manbij, Al-Monitor reported on Dec. 17.

Turkey, Syria: Turkish Military Prepares for Military Operations in Syria

Ethiopia

Somalia

Egypt

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Ethiopia and Somalia had agreed on a joint declaration to resolve their bilateral dispute over Ethiopia's maritime port deal with Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland, the Washington Post reported Dec. 11.

Ethiopia, Somalia: Ethiopia And Somalia Agree Joint Declaration to Deescalate Tensions Over Sea Access 

United States

The U.S.-backed Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, withdrew from Deir el-Zour, Syria, as provisional government forces took control of the city, and fighters loyal to the provisional government said they would continue to advance in the countryside against the SDF, Al Jazeera reported on Dec. 11.

Syria, Turkey: SDF Withdraws From Deir el-Zour as Signs of Turkish-Led Offensive Mount

Iran

The Kurdish-led and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces captured several Syrian government-controlled villages on the far side of the Euphrates River on Dec. 2 and called on U.S. air support in the course of their operations, according to sources on the ground, Reuters reported on Dec. 3.

Syria: SDF Joins Anti-Government Fighting Near Key Eastern City

Israel

Syrian rebel forces led by Hayat Tahir al-Sham took control of Syria's second largest city, Aleppo, multiple media outlets reported Nov. 30. 

Syria: Government Forces Crumble in Northwest as Aleppo Falls

Economics

Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said Turkey's more orthodox economic program will continue to prioritize decreasing inflation rates, Hurriyet Daily News reported on Nov. 15.

Turkey: Finance Minister Signals Turkey Will Keep Orthodox Economic Policy

On Nov. 11-12, representatives from Russia, Turkey, Iran, Syria and the United Nations, among others, attended the 22nd meeting of the Astana Format held in Astana, Anadolu Agency reported on Nov. 12.

Russia, Iran, Turkey: Guarantor Countries Remain Committed to the Astana Format for Syria

Media

Palestinian Territories

Saudi Arabia

Podcasts

What can Trump's nominees for positions in Middle Eastern diplomacy tell us about his approach to the region?

Essential Geopolitics: U.S.-Middle East Relations Under a Second Trump Term

Assessments

Israeli tanks and armored vehicles line up the area outside the Druze village of Majdal Shams on the fence with the buffer zone that separates the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights from the rest of Syria on Dec. 9, 2024.

Israel's efforts to mitigate threats from war-torn Syria will risk triggering domestic and international blowback, and opening the door to a proxy conflict with Turkey.

Israel Expands Its Presence in Post-Assad Syria 

A man carries a Turkish national flag as Turkey-backed Syrian fighters gather along the frontlines opposite Kurdish forces near the town of Dadat in Syria's northern Aleppo province, on July 5, 2022. 

Turkey will seek to exert its influence over Syria's new leaders to prevent Kurdish autonomy, promote Turkish business interests and facilitate the return of refugees.

Turkey Is Poised to Reap the Benefits of a New Order in Syria

An illustration of the Ethiopian and Somali flags.

The countries’ commitment to negotiate maritime access reduces immediate conflict risks and could enable Ethiopia to secure leasing rights at Somali ports, but tensions will likely resurge if the two sides fail to finalize a deal.

Ethiopia and Somalia Crack Open the Door To Compromise on Maritime Access

Columns

On Geopolitics

United Arab Emirates

Rebel fighters celebrate in the streets of Homs, Syria, in the early hours of Dec. 8, 2024, after seizing control of the city.

Syria, the geopolitical proving ground for virtually every major regional power, may be hobbled and damaged after 13 years of civil war. But it still gets a vote in its destiny. 

Syria Sets Out Toward a New and Uncertain Future

Iraq

Yemen

An anti-regime fighter tears off a poster depicting Syrian President Bashar al Assad (left) and his brother Maher at the airport in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Dec. 2, 2024. 

U.S.-Iran Relations

With its proxy network weakened, developing nuclear weapons will become a more attractive option for Iran as it tries to rebuild deterrence against the U.S. and Israel.

Assad's Fall in Syria Deals Another Blow to Iran's Axis of Resistance

Ghana

South Korea

France

Protesters call for the ouster of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol outside the National Assembly in Seoul on Dec. 6, 2024.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: An Impeachment Vote in South Korea, Syria's Government Wavers

Rebels patrol the streets of Hama after they captured the central Syrian city on Dec. 6, 2024. 

If and when al Assad's regime collapses, war-torn Syria will fragment into factional territories under a weakened rebel leadership.

What To Watch For as Syria's Government Barrels Toward Collapse

Qatar

A child tapes a stick holding a Hamas flag during a demonstration in support of Palestinian resistance in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Jan. 12, 2024. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Hamas' impending expulsion from Qatar will force the group to either relocate its Politburo or disperse its senior leaders across multiple countries, either of which would carry challenges.

With Its Welcome Worn Out in Qatar, Hamas Seeks a New Home Base

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses Turkey's parliament on Oct. 1, 2024, in Ankara. 

Social Issues

Ankara's efforts could fail if the pro-Kurdish DEM Party makes extensive demands or if widespread PKK violence breaks out.

To Gain Support for Its Constitutional Reform, Turkey's Government Turns to the Kurds

Graphics

Members of the Kurdish peshmerga security forces queue at a polling station to vote ahead of the Oct. 20 parliamentary election in Arbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, on Oct. 18, 2024. 

Global Elections

Following belated parliamentary elections in Iraqi Kurdistan, explore the most prominent Kurdish groups in the Middle East.

Iraqi Kurdistan's Parliamentary Elections Highlight Two Major Kurdish Groups in the Middle East

Sudan

Middle East and North Africa

Algeria

Bahrain

Jordan

Kuwait

Lebanon

Oman

The Geopolitics of Water

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Population growth, security vacuums, bad governance and climate change will increasingly strain the desert region's already scarce water supplies, raising the risk of social unrest, interstate conflict and violence from non-state actors.

The Geopolitics of Water: In the Middle East, Water Will Increasingly Become a Weapon and Driver of Conflict

<p>The Republic of Turkey straddles Europe and Asia, forming a land bridge that links the Levant, Iran and the Caucasus with Southeastern Europe. In stark contrast to its predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, modern Turkey is confined largely to the semi-arid, mountainous terrain of the Anatolian Peninsula and the capital-rich lands surrounding the Sea of Marmara. This low-lying region contains the large cities of Istanbul and Izmir and the two chokepoints linking the Black Sea to the Mediterranean &mdash; the Bosporus and the Dardanelles. This area is the core of Turkey&#39;s population and economy. Turkey&rsquo;s geographic challenge is expanding the economic stability and development of this core into the eastern region of the country. Anatolia&rsquo;s rugged geography and mountainous terrain make economic and infrastructure development difficult, but has historically helped to prevent land invasions from the east and south. Modern Turkey is working to integrate this largely rural, poorer hinterland into the political and economic mainstream in an attempt to link its current Islamist government to its neighbors in the broader Middle East. However, significant challenges remain. Turkey has fought a decades-long Kurdish insurgency in its southeastern regions, where the Taurus Mountains and the Eastern Anatolian plateau give sanctuary to Kurdish separatist militants. Turkey&rsquo;s position at the crossroads between East and West provides the country with several geopolitical possibilities. The country is working to serve as a transit state linking the exports of its energy-rich eastern neighbors to consumer markets in Europe. Its location also invites a series of constraints, as reflected by Turkey&rsquo;s position surrounded by Europe&rsquo;s economic decline, Iranian ambitions in Syria and Iraq, and Russian interests in the Caucasus.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Azerbaijan, Russia: Aliyev Says No Need for Turkish Military Base in Azerbaijan

Turkey, Syria: Turkish Military Prepares for Military Operations in Syria

Ethiopia, Somalia: Ethiopia And Somalia Agree Joint Declaration to Deescalate Tensions Over Sea Access

Syria, Turkey: SDF Withdraws From Deir el-Zour as Signs of Turkish-Led Offensive Mount

Syria: SDF Joins Anti-Government Fighting Near Key Eastern City

Syria: Government Forces Crumble in Northwest as Aleppo Falls

Turkey: Finance Minister Signals Turkey Will Keep Orthodox Economic Policy

Russia, Iran, Turkey: Guarantor Countries Remain Committed to the Astana Format for Syria

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