Syria and Turkey

Turkey is supporting Iraqi attempts to combat ISIS threats to Kirkuk, other regions

Turkey has interests in Kirkuk and the city of Tal Afar. The Turkish Ministry of Defense said, “We welcome Iraq’s reinforcement of outposts and observation posts along the border."

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A flag of the Islamic State (IS) is seen on the other side of a bridge at the frontline of fighting between Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Islamist militants in Rashad, on the road between Kirkuk and Tikrit, on September 11, 2014.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) amd Syrian President Ahmed Shara (L) attend the official opening ceremony of Antalya Diplomacy Forum, held under the theme of 'Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties' in Antalya, Turkey on April 17, 2026.

Syria is continuing to strengthen ties with Turkey, causing concern in Israel - analysis

Syria and Turkey have signed 40 agreements and memoranda of understanding, creating links between 22 Syrian ministries and agencies and their Turkish counterparts, SANA reported.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Members of the all women Martyr Ayaz Çiya battalion staff checkpoints and stop vehicles in the Halko neighbourhood on February 8, 2026 in Qamishli, Syria.

Seven years after being displaced, Kurdish families return to Serekaniye - analysis

In 2019, the US briefly considered leaving Syria. It evacuated some posts in the area, not wanting to be in the middle of fighting. It took time for the area to stabilize.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
IDF soldiers operate in southern Lebanon, published July 15, 2026.

Netanyahu says Iran tried to kill his son, US launches new sanctions program against Islamic regime

Netanyahu discusses West Bank violence with security officials • Iran offers $10m. reward to kill Trump’s son • Israeli officials divided over claim that Iran smuggled weapons to Hezbollah

|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Turkey escalates against US-Kurdish alliance in Syria with drone strike

The Turkish drone strike in Iraq shows the lengths Ankara will go to strike Kurdish anti-ISIS fighters.

APRIL 9, 2023BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan attends a meeting with Russia's President Vladimir Putin (not pictured) on the sidelines of the 6th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA), in Astana, Kazakhstan, October 13, 2022.

Dutch seismologist who 'predicted' Turkey earthquake foresees more quakes

In a tweet on Monday, he predicted "stronger seismic activity in the coming days," with a link to a YouTube video.

MARCH 28, 2023ByMAARIV ONLINE, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A view shows semi collapsed buildings in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Hatay, Turkey February 15, 2023.

6,600 foreigners, mostly Syrians, killed in Turkey’s earthquakes - analysis

The number 6,600 likely means that other missing Syrians will also be added to this number, perhaps as many as 10,000 eventually.

MARCH 13, 2023BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
An aerial view shows collapsed and damaged buildings after an earthquake in Hatay, Turkey February 7, 2023.

Israeli experts: $10b. needed to reinforce buildings before next big earthquake

The Israeli government needs to plan to strengthen 800,000 buildings and critical infrastructure before it’s too late, experts warn.

MARCH 5, 2023ByMAYA MARGIT/THE MEDIA LINE
A view of a street damaged by the earthquake, in the rebel-held town of Harem, in Idlib governorate, Syria, February 14, 2023.

Turkey earthquake tragedy is a reminder of what's important - opinion

Despite the rapid, substantial global humanitarian response from many countries, it just wasn't possible to help everyone, quickly enough.

MARCH 2, 2023ByRABBI ABRAHAM COOPER/THE MEDIA LINE, REV. JOHNNIE MOORE/THE MEDIA LINE
A person reacts while sitting on the rubble of a collapsed building, in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, February 9, 2023

Turkey shifts to post-quake reconstruction, getting aid to those in need

The mission now is to remove the debris and build new homes for those who need them. 

MARCH 1, 2023ByMOHAMMED AL-KASSIM/THE MEDIA LINE
People affected by the deadly earthquake queue for aid in Hatay, Turkey, February 24, 2023.

Hasty rebuild could leave Turkey at risk of another quake disaster

Turkey's government is struggling to find a quick solution to rehome those who were left homeless after the quake, and rebuild what was destroyed. However, being speedy could be a bigger issue.

FEBRUARY 20, 2023ByREUTERS
A view shows semi collapsed buildings in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Hatay, Turkey February 15, 2023.

Blinken to talk aid, Nordic NATO bid in visit to quake-hit Turkey

The United States Secretary of State will approach the meeting with multiple prongs; one focused on earthquake relief and the other focused on Finland's bid to join NATO.

FEBRUARY 19, 2023ByREUTERS
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives for a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, February 18, 2023.

ISIS attack and US raid show terror group still dangerous - analysis

ISIS continues to be a threat and the US and SDF continue to carry out raids to make sure it can’t make a comeback.

FEBRUARY 18, 2023BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A US soldier oversees members of the Syrian Democratic Forces as they demolish a YPG fortification and raise a Tal Abyad Military Council flag over the outpost as part of the security mechanism zone agreement, in Syria September 21, 2019.

NASA satellites assist in Turkey-Syria earthquake response

The earthquakes that struck southern Turkey and western Syria on February 6th left over 37,000 dead and over one million people homeless.

FEBRUARY 14, 2023ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Rescuers carry a survivor at the site of a collapsed building, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey February 8, 2023.