About: Syria
NATO slams Turkey over Syria, lukewarm reactions to German ‘safe zone’ proposal
NATO defence ministers on Thursday (24 October) denounced Turkey for its military incursion in Northeast Syria, but acknowledged there was little they could do to restrain their strategically important ally.
US defence secretary says Turkey ‘going in the wrong direction’ in NATO
Turkey’s recent behaviour "has put us all in a terrible situation", US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said in Brussels on Thursday. He said Ankara's "unwarranted" invasion into Syria jeopardised the security gains made as the US-led coalition and allied Kurdish forces battled the Islamic State (IS) in the area in recent years.
US welcomes German security plan for Syria, unlikely to take part
The United States and NATO cautiously welcomed on Wednesday (23 October) a German proposal for a security zone in northern Syria, though Washington's envoy to the alliance saying it should be for Europe to take charge and not US forces.
Russia, Turkey reach ‘historic’ deal on Syria border
Russia and Turkey agreed on Tuesday (22 October) to ensure Kurdish forces withdraw from areas close to Syria's border with Turkey and to launch joint patrols, in a deal hailed as "historic" by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Germany proposes security zone for northern Syria
German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer on Monday (21 October) suggested the creation of a security zone in northern Syria to protect displaced civilians and ensure that the fight continues against Islamic State militia.
Turkey’s incursion into Syria is making the EU and Kurds rethink their friends
The EU may condemn Turkey’s military incursion into Syria, yet it also has Turkey to thank for holding back the migrant crisis. Publicly, Europe wants to send a message. Privately, it knows it cannot say too much, writes Faisal Al Yafai.
Turkey pushes offensive in Syria, while Russia moves in where US moved out
Turkey vowed to press ahead with its offensive in northern Syria on Tuesday (15 October) despite US sanctions and growing calls for it to stop, while Syria's Russia-backed army moved on the key city of Manbij that was abandoned by US forces.
Russia-backed Syrian army sweeps in to fill US-left vacuum
Russia-backed Syrian forces took rapid advantage of an abrupt US retreat from Syria on Monday (14 October), deploying deep inside Kurdish-held territory south of the Turkish frontier less than 24 hours after Washington announced a full withdrawal.
EU condemns Turkey’s military action, stops short of common arms embargo
EU foreign minister on Monday (14 October) unanimously condemned Turkey’s military action in north-eastern Syria, asking all member states to stop selling arms to Ankara. However, they stopped short of an EU-wide arms embargo that France and Germany had sought.
NATO’s Stoltenberg warns of risks to alliance’s unity over Turkey
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday (14 October) the military alliance should not lose its unity in the fight against Daesh (IS), in light of Turkey’s military operation against Kurdish militants in northeastern Syria.
Macron plays appeasement card after Goulard’s rejection
After an initial outburst, French President Emmanuel Macron sought to ease tensions on Sunday (13 October) following the rejection last week of his protégée Sylvie Goulard as France's candidate for the European Commission. EURACTIV France reports.
Greece calls for more NATO ships to patrol Aegean Sea following Turkey’s Syria offensive
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called on NATO to increase naval patrols in the Aegean Sea on Thursday (10 October) after a threat by Turkey to open Europe's doors to more than three million migrants.
Trump reconsiders Syria withdrawal, strongly warns Turkey against military adventures
US President Donald Trump warned Turkey Monday (6 October) against going too far in Syria, one day after giving Ankara a green light to invade its southern neighbor, sparking panic among Washington's Kurdish allies.
Macron, Putin see chance on Ukraine but clash on Syria
French President Emmanuel Macron and Russia's Vladimir Putin on Monday (19 August) agreed changes in Ukraine had bolstered the chances of peace in its east but clashed on Syria, as the Russian leader made a rare bilateral visit to a key EU power.
US call for Syria troops divides German coalition
Discord broke out in German Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition Sunday (7 July), after the United States urged the country to send ground troops to Syria as Washington looks to withdraw from the region.
An innovative partnership in the assistance programme for Syrian refugees in Turkey
Alper Küçük and Nils Grede provide insight into the use of the EU’s Facility for Refugees in Turkey, which enables much-needed cash transfers to one and a half million vulnerable refugees living in host communities in Turkey.
Watad: The oil company that came from nowhere and became a key player in Syria
Life in rebel-held northwest Syria has, without a doubt, been made easier by Watad Petroleum’s presence. But with no information available publicly about who owns or runs it, there is a persistent suspicion about it, writes Haid Haid.
200,000 displaced Syrians flee towards Turkey
Pressure is mounting on Turkish authorities to open their borders to more than 200,000 refugees from Syria. What prevents the refugees from entering is a 764-km wall Turkey has built along the border, in fear of Kurdish "terrorists".
As EU-Arab summit approaches, more headaches than planned
When plans for a summit between the European Union and the Arab League were first hatched last year, it was envisioned as the start of a new friendship across the Mediterranean. What a difference a few months makes.
US spy chiefs break with Trump on threat assessment
China and Russia pose the biggest risks to the United States, and are more aligned than they have been in decades as they target the 2020 presidential election and American institutions to expand their global reach, US intelligence officials told...
US troop departure from Syria can improve Turkish-Kurdish relations
Has America used the Kurds in Syria only now to dump them? Observers who believe in moral debt, rather than the cold logic of realpolitik, understandably are concerned about the implications for the Kurds of an immediate US withdrawal from Syria, writes Ömer Taşpınar.
EU counter-terrorism chief: Europe ‘may see something like Daesh 2.0’
The level of terrorist threat remains "pretty serious" in several EU countries, Gilles de Kerchove, the EU's counter-terrorism coordinator, told EURACTIV.com in an interview hours before the latest attack in Strasbourg on Tuesday night (12 December).
Cyprus helps 36 Syria migrants to come ashore as influx grows
Cypriot marine police said they escorted 36 Syrian migrants ashore on Monday (3 September), at a time the authorities have raised concerns about an influx of boat people on the island.