Tag Archives: Turkey

A Turkish attack on Afrin could spark a full-fledged war in Northern Syria

Posted on July 13, 2017

by Paul Iddon. Unlike the other three Kurdish regions in the Middle East, Syrian Kurdistan (known among Kurds as West Kurdistan, or Rojava) is not contiguous. The ruling authorities in Syria over the years attempted to keep the Kurds divided … Continue reading →

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Unrealistic demands on Qatar reveal the real reasons behind the blockade

Posted on July 1, 2017

by Patrick Truffer (originally published in German). He has been working in the Swiss Army for more than 15 years, holds a bachelor’s degree in public affairs from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETH Zurich), and a … Continue reading →

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Unrealistische Forderungen an Katar verraten die wahren Gründe der Blockade

Posted on June 26, 2017

von Patrick Truffer (English version). Er arbeitet seit über 15 Jahren in der Schweizer Armee, verfügt über einen Bachelor in Staatswissenschaften der ETH Zürich und über einen Master in Internationale Beziehungen der Freien Universität Berlin. Unter anderem auf Druck der … Continue reading →

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The Gulf crisis and future of Qatar’s military

Posted on June 19, 2017

by Paul Iddon In any potential war pitting Qatar against the militaries of its Saudi and Emirati neighbours it’s clear Doha would face two adversaries with superior militaries, in terms of both quality and quantity. The tiny resource-rich sheikdom, the … Continue reading →

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Russia’s second faux drawdown from Syria

Posted on February 7, 2017

by Paul Iddon. On January 6, 2017 Moscow announced for the second time in less than a year that it is partially withdrawing its forces from Syria (the fist announcement was in March 2016). This time the Russians said their … Continue reading →

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Härtetest für den Leopard 2 Panzer

Posted on February 3, 2017

von Patrick Truffer. Patrick Truffer absolviert momentan ein Masterstudiengang in Internationale Beziehungen an der Freien Universität Berlin. Ende August 2016 startete die Türkei die Operation “Schutzschild Euphrat” mit dem Ziel südlich der türkischen Grenze eine Sicherheitszone zu schaffen. Zusätzlich zum … Continue reading →

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Can Turkey capture ‘the Gate’ to Aleppo?

Posted on November 29, 2016

Turkey’s Free Syrian Army (FSA) proxy paramilitary allies are presently no less than two kilometers outside of the Islamic State (ISIS)-held city of al-Bab in northwest Syria. The last city that ISIS hold in that part of Syria. Al-Bab’s name … Continue reading →

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Will Turkey go to war in Northern Iraq?

Posted on November 14, 2016

Since Turkey’s refusal to withdraw its military forces from its training camp in Bashiqa, Northern Iraq last December relations between Baghdad and Ankara have been at an all time low. Even after the start of the Mosul operation against Islamic … Continue reading →

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Ankara vs Damascus: The al-Bab Impasse

Posted on November 3, 2016

Even before launching its intervention in northwest Syria on August 24 it was clear that Turkey would do its utmost to forcibly prevent Syria’s Kurds from dominating the entirety of Syria’s northern border. Since June 2015 the Kurds have controlled … Continue reading →

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The shortcomings of Turkey’s Syria campaign

Posted on October 23, 2016

Two months into its foray into northwestern Syria Turkey’s Operation “Euphrates Shield” against Islamic State (ISIS) militants and Kurdish militia forces (People’s Protection Units; YPG) is already showing some clear shortcomings. Turkey’s military has said that ISIS is successfully mounting … Continue reading →

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