Tag Archives: Syria

Kurdistan’s Moment?

Posted on July 17, 2014 by aaronstein1

Do the Kurds benefit from the current chaos in Iraq? Is independence around the corner? What is Turkey’s Kurdistan policy? Today, I speak with Dov Friedman,  a graduate student at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, who is currently … Continue reading →

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After the Caliphate: The Current State of Affairs in Iraq and Syria

Posted on July 8, 2014 by aaronstein1

What is the current state of affairs in Iraq and Syria? How has Iran responded to the crisis in Iraq? Have things changed all that much after the declaration of the Caliphate? Are the countries of the region adopting a … Continue reading →

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Podcast: Turkey and ISIS in Iraq and Syria

Posted on June 16, 2014 by aaronstein1

Does Turkey support ISIS? What is Turkey’s relationship with Ahrar al Sham, the Islamic Front, and Jabhat al Nusra? Did Turkey’s open door policy strengthen the Jihadist movement in Iraq and Syria? Today, I discuss these questions with Aaron Zelin, … Continue reading →

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Turkey’s Evolving Syria Policy: The Decision to Black List Nusra

Posted on June 5, 2014 by aaronstein1

The following includes sections taken from a RUSI piece I wrote in September 2013. At the outset of violence in Syria, Turkey’s initial instinct was to negotiate with Bashar al-Assad, in order to convince the Syrian dictator to make cosmetic … Continue reading →

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Creating a Timeline: The Turkish Convoy to the Suleyman Shah Tomb

Posted on May 5, 2014 by aaronstein1

On April 30th, Fehim Taştekin wrote in a piece for Al Monitor about some of the continuing questions about the Turkish military convoy sent to the Suleyman Shah Tomb. Taştekin wrote: An 18-vehicle convoy was dispatched to the Tomb of Suleiman Shah … Continue reading →

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The Turkish Convoy: The Vehicles

Posted on April 24, 2014 by aaronstein1

The youtube video above allows for the identification of some of the vehicles used in the Turkish military convoy that entered Syria. The first is the Kirpi: The Kirpi is a mine resistant, ambush protected (MRAP) vehicle capable of carrying … Continue reading →

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On 23 April, the Turkish military sent a large convoy of trucks, tanks, and armored personnel carriers into Syria to resupply the troops stationed at the Suleyman Shah Tomb ( 36° 38′ 19.06″ N, 38° 12′ 27.07″ E). The tomb sits … Continue reading →

Posted on April 24, 2014 by aaronstein1 | Leave a comment

Guest Post: The EU Arms Embargo and the Syrian Conflict

Posted on May 29, 2013 by aaronstein1

As the debate about whether to arm the rebels continues, scant attention has been paid to whether or not such a policy is legal under international law. I have asked Jamie Walsh – a Ph.D candidate at University College Cork, where … Continue reading →

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Turkey Did Have a Choice in Syria

Posted on March 20, 2013 by aaronstein1

Turkey’s approach to the crisis in Syria is rooted in its previous “pre-Syrian revolt” foreign policy ambitions in the Middle East. Turkey’s overarching goal is to engage in a multi-directional proactive foreign policy, in order to deepen relations with leaders … Continue reading →

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Passive Defense: The Questions Turks Should be Asking about Patriot

Posted on March 7, 2013 by aaronstein1

Yesterday, I summarized an article I co-authored with Shashank Joshi – a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute- about the Patriot missile system and Turkey’s Syria policy. If you missed yesterday’s post, click here. In general, Shashank and … Continue reading →

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