The Islamic State has been showing renewed vigor in Syria, attracting new fighters and increasing the number of its attacks last year, according to the United Nations and U.S. officials, further raising the threat of instability in a country that…
Tag: Kurds
Druse Militia Refuse to Join Syria’s New Army
The trainer paced the grounds of a mountain enclave in southwestern Syria, shouting at dozens of new recruits as they drilled sprints between barricades made from old car tires. “You have to practice as if it’s real,” screamed the instructor,…
What Syria’s New Temporary Constitution Says
Syria’s new government has adopted a temporary constitution that concentrates much power in the hands of the interim president and retains Islamic law as the foundation of the legal system. The interim president, Ahmed al-Shara, signed the constitutional declaration on…
Kurdish Fighters Called a Truce, but Turkey Kept Up Lethal Strikes
Turkey’s military has kept up deadly attacks in Syria and Iraq on fighters linked to the Kurdish insurgent group P.K.K. in the two weeks since the movement’s founder called on his followers to lay down their arms and disband. The…
Syrian Government Signs Breakthrough Deal with Kurdish-Led Forces
The Kurdish-led militia that controls northeastern Syria agreed on Monday to merge with the country’s new government, marking a major breakthrough for Damascus in its efforts to unify a country still wrestling with violent turmoil. The agreement, announced by the…
While Calm Reigns in Damascus, Battles in Syria’s Northeast Rage On
In the Syrian capital, Damascus, the country’s new leader has hosted a national unity conference and welcomed foreign dignitaries as crowds gather at cafes, speaking out freely for the first time in decades. But 400 miles away in northeastern Syria,…
What to Know About Abdullah Ocalan and the Turkey-P.K.K. Conflict
For more than four decades, Turkey has been fighting an armed insurgency by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or P.K.K., a militant group that says it seeks greater rights for the country’s Kurdish minority. More than 40,000 people have been killed…
Kurdish Insurgent Group Declares Cease-Fire in Conflict With Turkey
The Kurdish guerrilla group that has been fighting a long-running insurgency against Turkey declared a cease-fire on Saturday, days after a call from its jailed leader to disarm and disband the organization raised hopes of ending a conflict that has…
Turkey-PKK Deal May Benefit Erdogan at Home and Abroad
By seeking a peace deal with Kurdish militants, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey is attempting something momentous that not only aims to end 40 years of violent insurgency inside Turkey but envisions ambitious change across the region. The call…
Syria Begins National Dialogue but Without Kurdish-Led Militia
Syria’s interim government is bringing together people from the country’s many religions and sects for a two-day national dialogue that began on Monday. What is the national dialogue? Ahmed al-Shara, the country’s interim president, whose rebel coalition seized control of…