Syria and Turkey

Assad had recently said that he saw Russia’s growing role in the world has helpful to maintain a multi-polar world order.

The Syrian regime wants Ankara to return to the status quo of 2011, before the Syrian revolution and civil war.

Anti-Syrian violence has since spread across Turkey, with incidents taking place in the provinces of Hatay, Gaziantep, Konya, and Bursa, as well as in an Istanbul district.

Iran’s official line is that the visit by Raisi is about economic and commercial issues and the Palestinian issue is only a close second in the discussions.

Ankara said on Thursday a ground operation into Syria was one option it could consider. Turkey has mounted several previous incursions into northern Syria against the YPG.

Ankara increasingly focuses also on strikes near Sulimaniyeh, a city that is aligned with the Kurdish political party PUK

It is important to look back at how various forces involved in the Syrian turmoil go to this point in order to understand this complex conflict.

These groups were often part of the plethora of Syrian rebel groups that operated in northern Syria since the Syrian civil war began in 2011.

Unregistered Syrians have been ordered to leave Istanbul, a move seen as politically motivated in light of Turkey's recent elections and growing discontent with the refugee population.

Syria gave its approval on Thursday for the UN to use Bab al-Hawa for another six months, but with several conditions.