FOUND: 9 - What They Never Told You

SDF Commander Killed in Turkish Drone Attack

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that a commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was killed, and his escort was injured in an attack by a Turkish drone near Nusaybeen crossing on the border with Türkiye in al-Qamishli. The Observatory pointed out that the attack came a week…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Apr 15, 2023

Iraq’s Northern Oil Exports Stuck on Türkiye Negotiations

Oil exports from northern Iraq to the Turkish port of Ceyhan remain at a standstill almost three weeks after an arbitration case ruled Ankara owed Baghdad compensation for unauthorized exports. The March 23 arbitration ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) ordered Türkiye to pay Baghdad damages of $1.5…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Apr 14, 2023

Russia Says Black Sea Grain Deal May Be Nearly Over

Russia on Thursday said there would be no extension of the UN-brokered Black Sea grain deal beyond May 18 unless the West removed a series of obstacles to the export of Russian grain and fertilizer. The Ukraine grain Black Sea export deal was brokered by the United Nations and Türkiye…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Apr 14, 2023

SDF Commander Reportedly Targeted in Blast Near Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah Airport

An explosion struck next to the Sulaymaniyah International Airport in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region Friday, local officials said. The blast came days after Türkiye closed its airspace to flights to and from the airport, citing an alleged increase in Kurdish militant activity threatening flight safety. Türkiye has spent years…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Apr 8, 2023

Türkiye Agrees with Russia Request to Lift Fertilizer Export Obstacles

Türkiye’s foreign minister said on Friday he agreed with Russia's request to lift obstacles to Russian fertilizer and grain exports, and that this needed to be addressed to extend the overall Black Sea grain deal involving Ukraine. Mevlut Cavusoglu told a news conference in Ankara, alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Apr 7, 2023

Jia Kurd to Asharq Al-Awsat: Moscow Meeting Legalizes Turkish Occupation

Badran Jia Kurd, a Kurdish official who heads the foreign relations department of The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syrian (AANES), has warned that the new agreements between Damascus and Ankara "will be at the expense of the Syrian people." On Tuesday, the quartet meeting at the level of…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Apr 7, 2023

Two months after Türkiye-Syria earthquakes, volunteer rescuers are pained by those they couldn't save

Turkish volunteer rescue worker Bayram Çini still has nightmares about those he couldn't save. But nothing has touched him more deeply than the seven-hour rescue of Kerem and his cat Strawberry.

ABC News · Apr 5, 2023

Türkiye Closes Airspace to Flights Using North Iraqi Airport

Türkiye has closed its airspace to flights to and from an airport in Kurdish-administered northern Iraq, a top Turkish official announced Wednesday, citing an alleged increase in Kurdish militant activity threatening flight safety. The airspace was closed Tuesday to flights taking off from and landing at Sulaymaniyah International Airport, in…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Apr 5, 2023

‘Normalization’ Talks Between Ankara, Damascus Kick Off in Moscow

Tension and anticipation dominated Tuesday’s four-way talks in Moscow with the presence of deputy foreign ministers from Russia, Syria, Iran, and Türkiye. Despite secrecy shrouding the consultation round held behind closed doors, the Syrian side's aggressive statements hinted at the failure of efforts to push for normalization between Damascus and…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Apr 5, 2023

Turkish Inflation Dips to 50%

Turkish annual consumer price inflation dropped to 50.51 percent in March, official data showed on Monday, slightly below forecast and easing ahead of landmark presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14. Inflation has been stoked by a currency crisis at end-2021 that pushed it to a 24-year peak above 85…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Apr 4, 2023