Damascus

Turkey deploys advanced radar at Damascus airport, raising Israeli concerns

Turkey deployed an advanced radar system at Damascus International Airport, a move Western sources warn could restrict Israel’s freedom of action in Syrian airspace and heighten regional tensions.

|ByAMICHAI STEIN
HTRS-100 air traffic control radar system, produced by the Turkish defense company ASELSAN.
Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa delivers a speech on the first anniversary of Bashar al-Assad's fall, in Damascus, Syria December 8, 2025.

Is Syria’s leader Ahmed al-Sharaa a master geopolitical chess player? - analysis

Ahmed al-Sharaa has proven to be an adept player of geopolitical chess. Now he will be tested on his ability to win the peace in Syria.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the media at the end of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, November 23, 2025

Syrian deal with SDF could lead to Turkey-PKK peace, Turkish officials say

After days of fighting, the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed on Sunday to bring Kurdish authorities under the control of Damascus.

|ByREUTERS
Men, suspected of being affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group, gather in a prison cell in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh on October 26, 2019.

SDF reports clashes near ISIS detention sites in Hasaka and Raqqa

The SDF reported armed group attacks on ISIS prisons in Syria's northeast as clashes with Syrian government forces raise fears of renewed instability and terrorism.

|ByREUTERS, JAMES GENN

Israel exploited Assad govt's fall to impose expansionist, destabilizing project, Syrian FM claims

Syrian FM Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani accused Israel of pursuing expansionist goals and said Moscow aided Assad’s regime, as Syria rebuilds ties with China.

OCTOBER 26, 2025ByJAMES GENN
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani attends a press conference at the Lebanese foreign ministry, in Beirut, October 10, 2025.

Damascus businessmen forum aims to rebuild regional trust with focus on investment, not aid

Business leaders announced the establishment of Damascus SBN Holding Company to fund reconstruction and development.

OCTOBER 23, 2025ByRIZIK ALABI/THE MEDIA LINE
Damascus Businessmen's Forum.

Turkey to send Syria weapons in exchange for greater reach against Kurdish group - report

Syria has reportedly elected to only use the equipment on its northern border, to avoid further stoking the already tense relations with neighboring Israel.

OCTOBER 17, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS
The Bayraktar Akinci, a long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) developed by Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar, is displayed at the 55th International Paris Airshow at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, France, June 16, 2025.

Senior Syrian official denies return of Eli Cohen’s remains imminent, negotiations in progress

A senior Syrian official refutes claims that Israeli spy Eli Cohen’s remains will be returned to Israel, but confirms ongoing talks with Israel regarding the matter.

OCTOBER 15, 2025ByRIZIK ALABI/THE MEDIA LINE
Eli Cohen relaxing in his Damascus residence, 1963.

October 7 massacre a 'mistake that cost Iran dearly,' regime-aligned newspaper says

The piece noted that Hamas’s assault had severe negative repercussions for the regional standing of the “Axis of Resistance” led by Iran, chief among them Syria’s drift away from Iranian influence.

OCTOBER 12, 2025ByANNA BARSKY
Iran unveils a clock to countdown to the destruction of Israel

Turkey eyes more influence in Iraq, Syria, Gaza after deal - analysis

Erdogan hopes the deals can pave the way for more Turkish influence in Gaza and around the region.

OCTOBER 12, 2025BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan reacts during a press conference at a NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands June 25, 2025.

Syria open for business as it eyes end to US sanctions - analysis

Syria is moving to capitalize on its new ties abroad.

OCTOBER 11, 2025BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa meets with U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack in Istanbul, Turkey, May 24, 2025.

Syrian defense minister and SDF commander agree to immediate ceasefire, ministry says

The ceasefire applies to northern and north-eastern Syria.

OCTOBER 7, 2025ByREUTERS
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, attends an interview with Reuters in Shaddadi, Syria, June 13, 2025.

Syrian army redeploys near SDF fronts in northeast Syria as clashes rise

Kurdish SDF spokesperson Farhad Shami accused factions belonging to the Damascus government of attempting to enter two Kurdish-held districts of Aleppo with tanks.

OCTOBER 7, 2025ByREUTERS
Soldiers from the Syrian Democratic Forces stand in front of the detainees before the first exchange operation between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian government in Aleppo, Syria, April 3, 2025.

Is Syria safe for Jews? Rabbis and Jewish leaders visit Damascus on goodwill mission

ANTISEMITISM AFFAIRS: The mission sought to explore the prospects of a new chapter of Jewish-Muslim relations after a regime change in Syria.

OCTOBER 3, 2025ByMICHAEL STARR
DURING A goodwill mission to Syria last month, a group of Jewish academics, rabbis, and community leaders that included Israeli passport holders visited Syria. Here, delegation members Faraj Jajati and Rabbi Asher Lopatin hold a Syrian Torah scroll.