Donald Trump's ambassador to Türkiye and envoy to Syria has been having some critical conversations in regional capitals since April, from disarming Hezbollah to preventing another war with Israel

The burning of weapons from the banned PKK group of armed Kurdish separatists after members voted to dissolve it could be the closure some need. But will the door stay closed?

Ankara watched and learned from events in June 2025, as missiles flew between Tel Aviv and Tehran. The Middle East is changing, as is warfare and intelligence. For Türkiye, it is time to to act.

Ankara and Tel Aviv have been at each other's throats for years, not least over Gaza, while a change in leadership in Syria has thrown fuel on the fire. Thankfully, there are deconfliction mechanisms.

Having agreed on an outline for integration with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa last month, Kurdish-led groups have now issued a raft of contradictory demands, angering both Damascus and Ankara

Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Turkish President Recep Tayyib Erdoğan are both concerned about Kurdish separatism for slightly different reasons. What will they do about it?

In an interview with Al Sharq, Türkiye's FM pledges to 'work closely' with regional powers to build a better Syria and hopes Iran will seize the opportunity to recalibrate its approach to the region

Control over Syria's oil and gas reserves comes with major economic and political benefits. Both Israel and Türkiye will be lobbying the US to sway events in their respective favours.

Damascus needs to incorporate the YPG into its new national army, but Ankara is keen to disband the US-backed group. Cue the diplomacy.

Ankara had a role to play in the fall of the Assad regime, though the full details are yet to emerge. It will have a role in its state-building too, albeit with some big difficulties to overcome first