Tensions rise as Turkiye talks normalization with Syria

Syrians take part in the funeral procession of a man killed during clashes with Turkish troops, in Afrin in northern Syria on July 2, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 03 July 2024
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Tensions rise as Turkiye talks normalization with Syria

  • The events re-opened the debate on refugees and over Ankara’s ties with its war-torn neighbor
  • Both Syrian President Bashar Assad and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently signaled a willingness to mend their fractured relations

ANKARA: Tensions continue to rise amid Turkiye’s normalization efforts with Syria after attacks were carried out on Syrian refugees in the country and Turkish flags were targeted in northern Syria.
The events re-opened the debate on refugees and over Ankara’s ties with its war-torn neighbor.
Both Syrian President Bashar Assad and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently signaled a willingness to mend their fractured relations.
This comes after Turkiye reopened the Abu Al-Zandeen crossing near Al-Bab, establishing commercial connections between Turkish-controlled zones and regime-held areas in eastern Aleppo. Additionally, efforts are underway to widen the Hajjez Al-Shatt highway in Turkish-held Azaz, linking Aleppo to the Turkish border city of Gaziantep.
Turkiye also controls a buffer zone in northern Syria. However, the normalization efforts and the reopening of trade routes have ignited tensions in northern Syria.

BACKGROUND

Turkiye hosts about 3.1 million Syrian refugees, according to official data, and one motivation behind Ankara’s renewed dialogue with Damascus is the potential facilitation of refugee repatriation.

In recent days, anger has boiled over, with attacks targeting Turkish flags and trucks. Many Syrians in Turkish-controlled zones are demanding the withdrawal of Turkish forces, exacerbating the already volatile situation.
Reports indicate that Turkish-trained forces have even been filmed shooting at Turkish armored vehicles, prompting Turkiye to deploy additional troops to the region to maintain control.
The unrest is not confined to northern Syria. In Turkiye, tensions flared after a Syrian national allegedly harassed a Syrian child, sparking overnight violence in several cities, beginning in Kayseri. People were heard shouting: “We don’t want any more Syrians,” and “we don’t want any more foreigners.”
Turkish authorities detained 474 people for attacking Syrian-owned vehicles and shops. Simultaneously, approximately 79,000 social media accounts on X were identified for inciting violence.
Turkiye hosts about 3.1 million Syrian refugees, according to official data, and one motivation behind Ankara’s renewed dialogue with Damascus is the potential facilitation of refugee repatriation.
However, under dire economic conditions, with inflation in Turkiye running at 75 percent, Syrian refugees are often scapegoated and targeted by locals. In 2021, several refugees were targeted in Ankara after two Turkish citizens were allegedly stabbed by a Syrian.
Following the incident in Kayseri, Erdogan condemned the anti-Syrian riots, stating: “Turkiye is not and will not be a state that abandons its friends. We will proudly wear the medal of honor of being host to Syrian refugees in their most difficult days. Just as we know how to break the corrupt hands that reach out to our flag, we also know how to break the hands that reach out to the oppressed who take refuge in our country.”
Erdogan also criticized the opposition’s “poisonous” rhetoric about refugees. “Burning people’s homes, relatives, or setting fire to the streets is unacceptable, no matter who they are,” he declared.
The president’s remarks came on the same day he met Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman Al-Saud in Ankara.
Omar Kadkoy, program coordinator at Heinrich Boll Stiftung, explained that the policy solution to the violence over the past few years had involved relocating Syrians to provinces with lower refugee populations and closing new registrations in over 1,200 neighborhoods across several cities.




A man rides a motorcycle near a burning Turkish truck during protest sagainst Turkiye in Al-Bab, northern Syrian opposition-held region of Aleppo, on July 1, 2024. (AFP)

However, Kadkoy noted that the events in Kayseri underscore the policy’s failure.
“It is becoming harder for Turks and Syrians alike to make ends meet. Under similar conditions, almost universally, a tendency to blame others emerges. The same applies in Turkiye. Therefore, implementing humane, sustainable and respecting international law and human rights migration policy under a declining purchasing power due to high inflation is rather difficult.
Kadkoy emphasized that the recent riots in northern Syria are not solely due to Turkiye’s normalization efforts.
“The recent unrest in northern Syria is not exclusive to Turkiye’s statement about normalization with Syria a few days ago. One reason is the recent opening of an internal crossing, Abu Al-Zandeen, with Turkish-Russian consensus. The crossing connects Al-Bab in eastern Aleppo, (the) Euphrates Shield Zone, with the Syrian government in western Aleppo. The step generated reaction as the opening of the crossing meant dealing politically with the Syrian government — a taboo still in the northwest. Another reason has to do with Syrians’ long-standing discontent about the overall living conditions in the area. A third reason reflects Syrians’ dissatisfaction with the Syrian opposition’s failure to produce a democratic environment. Lastly, the violence in Kayseri where Syrians were subject to collective punishment over an alleged Syrian’s crime was that final straw the set off everything.”
Turkiye remains committed to UN Security Council resolutions that advocate for the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of refugees to Syria. However, experts caution that current conditions are far from meeting these standards.
Metin Corabatir, president of the Ankara-based Research Center on Asylum and Migration, said that any repatriation could only materialize after free and fair elections and the drafting of a new constitution in Syria, as mandated by the Security Council.
“Syrians in Turkiye feel very bad and unsafe after these incidents. Even Syrians with Turkish citizenship are living under the same fear. There is a horrifying hate speech that is becoming increasingly widespread. Political parties and some respected journalists are also fueling it. If this continues to spread, refugees will have nowhere to run, and their safety will be compromised,” Corabatir told Arab News.
Corabatir argues that the solution to the refugee crisis lies not in repatriation but in clarifying the legal status of refugees as they are still registered with “temporary protection” in the country.
“The anti-Syrian sentiment has turned into racism that vilifies Arabs. At this stage, at the very least, Erdogan and Ozgur Ozel, the leader of the main opposition CHP, need to come together and resolve this issue in cooperation,” he said.
Although Ankara has received billions of dollars in funding from international donors over the past decade, primarily from the EU to provide health care, education and employment opportunities for Syrians in the country, experts note that these projects are still a drop in the ocean to ensure a sustainable local integration especially amid deteriorating economic conditions.
Corabatir called for a tripartite agreement under UN supervision to facilitate the repatriation of refugees once safe conditions are established.
Zakira Hekmat, president of the Afghan Refugees Solidarity Association in Turkiye, resides in Kayseri. “Three Afghan youngsters were recently killed in Kayseri. There has been an organized anti-refugee sentiment in the region for a long time. We have been advising our community to remain silent during these chaotic times. People have come to our neighborhood and demolished shops. For the past three days, we have stayed in our homes out of fear. Many people cannot even buy bread and water. This situation will eventually impact the Turkish economy. Syrians, despite having work permits, cannot go to the shops in the industrial zone where they are employed.”
Pro-government journalist Abdulkadir Selvi suggested on Wednesday that Erdogan may meet Assad on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Astana on 3-4 July as part of the new Turkiye-Syria rapprochement bid. However, there has been no official statement confirming any plans for such high-level backstage diplomacy.


Libya’s unity government, Turkiye strengthen military cooperation with agreement in Ankara

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Libya’s unity government, Turkiye strengthen military cooperation with agreement in Ankara

  • Deal outlines cooperation in military fields to enhance Libyan army’s readiness, professionalism
  • Libya’s undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense met Yasar Guler, Turkey’s minister of national defense

LONDON: Libya and Turkiye signed an agreement on Thursday to enhance the Libyan army’s military capabilities through advanced training and logistical support.

The National Unity Government based in Tripoli said that Abdulsalam Al-Zoubi, undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense, visited Ankara to work on strengthening military cooperation between Libya and Turkiye. During his visit, he met Yasar Guler, the Turkish minister of national defense, as well as the undersecretary of the ministry of defense.

The agreement outlines cooperation in military fields to enhance the Libyan army’s readiness and professionalism. Al-Zoubi said that the cooperation is part of Tripoli’s plan to develop the Libyan army, praising the strategic relationship with Ankara. He said cooperation with Turkiye is a key priority for the Ministry of Defense’s institutional development program.

Turkiye has reaffirmed its commitment to support Tripoli’s defense capabilities, highlighting its strategic partnership, the statement added.


Israeli drone strike kills one in southern Lebanon as tensions grow with UNIFIL

Lebanese army soldiers inspect wreckage of a car which was targeted by an Israeli drone attack on a street in southern Lebanon.
Updated 3 min 3 sec ago
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Israeli drone strike kills one in southern Lebanon as tensions grow with UNIFIL

  • The new attack on UNIFIL forces intercepted planned joint patrol with the Lebanese Army
  • Local media reports suggest Hezbollah is restructuring itself internally

BEIRUT: UNIFIL forces were attacked on Thursday by residents in the town of Aitat, south of the Litani River. The assailants claimed that the patrol had entered the Wadi Jilou area without being accompanied by a Lebanese Army unit.

According to footage captured by eyewitnesses, a group of individuals blocked the patrol’s way, demanding that it return with a Lebanese Army escort. The patrol reportedly refused to turn back, leading to direct confrontations.

In response, UNIFIL personnel threw smoke and tear gas grenades to disperse the crowd. No injuries were reported.

The attack is merely the latest in a series of assaults targeting UNIFIL forces and carried out by civilians in strongholds.

These incidents aim to prevent UN peacekeepers from entering private property to conduct inspections, a key component of their official mandate.

The most recent renewal of UNIFIL’s mission in southern Lebanon included an amendment granting the force greater freedom of movement within its area of operations, in coordination with the Lebanese Army.

The tensions peaked on Thursday, when a resident of the town of Hallousiyeh–Deir Qanoun an-Naher hit a UNIFIL soldier during a patrol. The incident was widely condemned by political leaders, and a judicial investigation was launched.

The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet at the end of August to consider the Lebanese government’s request to extend UNIFIL’s mandate in the south.

In response to the attack, UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said that a patrol of the UN Interim Forces in Lebanon was blocked and pelted with stones by “a group of individuals in civilian clothes” in the southern village of Wadi Jilu.

“The group attempted to obstruct the patrol using aggressive means, including throwing stones at the peacekeepers,” he said.

“The LAF was promptly informed and arrived on the scene shortly thereafter. The situation was quickly brought under control,” Tenenti added, referring to the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Tenenti confirmed that the activity of the patrol was coordinated in advance with the LAF, in support of Lebanon’s implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701. The situation was initially calm, but individuals soon began throwing stones at the peacekeepers.

“In response, UNIFIL personnel employed non-lethal measures to ensure the safety of both the patrol members and those present,” he said.

“Freedom of movement is a core requirement for the implementation of UNIFIL’s mandate. This includes the ability to operate independently and impartially, as outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Any restriction on this freedom — while conducting operational activities with or without LAF — constitutes a violation of that resolution.”

Tenenti urged Lebanese authorities to “take all necessary measures to ensure that its peacekeepers can carry out their duties without obstruction or threat.”

The UNIFIL spokesperson confirmed that the international forces will continue to monitor and report breaches of Resolution 1701 impartially, in accordance with the Security Council's mandate and the request of the Lebanese government.

UNIFIL’s mandate shall “confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, restore international peace and security, and assist the Government of Lebanon in ensuring its effective authority in the area.”

US Envoy Thomas Barrack concluded his two-day visit to Lebanon, which began on Monday, to discuss a mechanism for disarming Hezbollah and withdrawing illegal weapons south and north of the Litani River.

He inspected the area south of the Litani River by air after meeting with Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haikal. At a press conference in Beirut, he praised the Lebanese Army and the key role it plays.

The attack on the UNIFIL patrol drew widespread condemnation from Lebanese political figures. MP Bilal Abdallah underlined the importance of the peacekeeping mission, stating that “there is a major national interest in preserving its role.”

MP Ashraf Rifi condemned the attack, saying: “Hezbollah is once again attacking UNIFIL. How can this be reconciled while pretending to accept the Resolution 1701 and evacuating south of the Litani River?”

He urged the state to hold “the aggressors accountable” and move to a new phase where there is “zero tolerance” for those who violate international legitimacy and expose Lebanon to grave dangers.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued targeting Hezbollah operatives. On Thursday, an Israeli drone struck a motorcycle on Mansouri Road in the Tyre district, killing one person and injuring two, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

At dawn, an Israeli drone launched an airstrike on a cafe and an aluminum workshop in the town of Yohmor al-Shaqif, in the Nabatieh District. The site had previously been targeted in a similar strike.

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said that “the strike targeted a Hezbollah military command center allegedly operating within a civilian building,” accusing the group of using the local population as “human shields” to facilitate attacks against Israel.

Sky News quoted an Israeli security source saying that as long as Hezbollah maintains a military wing, operations in Lebanon will persist.

“Every Hezbollah operative is a legitimate target. The Radwan Forces — Hezbollah’s elite unit — will be dismantled, whether by Hezbollah or by us. Their infrastructure, weaponry, and fighters remain targets throughout Lebanese territory,” the source told Sky News.

The Israeli security source noted that “Hezbollah’s efforts to return south of the Litani River appear limited” and praised what he described as “significant efforts by the Lebanese army to dismantle the group’s weapons infrastructure.”

On Tuesday night, the Israeli army claimed that a drone strike killed Hussein Ali Mezher in the town of Babliyeh, north of the Litani River.

In an official statement, the army claimed that Mezher was overseeing rocket fire in the Zahrani sector as part of Hezbollah’s Badr unit. He was reportedly responsible for launching attacks on Israeli territory and was involved in efforts to rebuild the group’s artillery capabilities in southern Lebanon.

Media reports on Thursday in Lebanese outlets suggested that Hezbollah has begun implementing a new organizational strategy aimed at consolidating several of its jihadi and executive units, along with institutions that share similar functions.

This internal restructuring effort, according to reports, is intended to adapt to current realities, with the group reportedly seeking to streamline its operations, rationalize expenditures, and optimize its structure in response to evolving circumstances.

The Israeli army announced on Wednesday the launch of “special, targeted” ground operations in southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in Jabal al-Blat and al-Labbouneh.

Forces from the 300th and 9th brigades reportedly dismantled weapons depots and missile launch sites belonging to the group, aiming to prevent Hezbollah from “reestablishing itself in the area,” the army said.

A Lebanese security source told Arab News that “the operations took place over the past two weeks, targeting sites in valleys and hills under Hezbollah’s security control, areas that remain inaccessible to the Lebanese army.”

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam confirmed last month that the Lebanese army had dismantled more than 500 weapons sites and depots in the area south of the Litani River.


Rescuers save four more survivors from Houthi-struck ship in Red Sea

This image released by Houthi Media Office in Yemen shows the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Eternity C is seen as it sinks.
Updated 10 July 2025
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Rescuers save four more survivors from Houthi-struck ship in Red Sea

  • Houthis are believed to be holding six of the Eternity C’s complement of 22 crew and three guards, maritime security sources said

ATHENS/LONDON: Rescuers pulled three more crew members and a security guard alive from the Red Sea on Thursday, maritime security sources said, a day after Houthi militants sank the Greek ship Eternity C and said they were holding some of the crew still missing.
It was the second Greek bulk carrier sunk this week by the Iran-aligned Houthi militia, shattering months of relative calm off Yemen’s coast, the gateway to the Red Sea and a critical route for oil and commodities to the world.
Many shipping companies have suspended voyages due to the fear of attack. The Houthis are believed to be holding six of the Eternity C’s complement of 22 crew and three guards, maritime security sources said.
“These are blameless victims who were simply doing their job,” the UK-based Seafarers’ Charity association said.
“Seafarers should be able to work safely at sea. Instead, they are being unfairly forced into the firing line.”
Eternity C was first hit on Monday with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speed boats. Four people are believed to have been killed in the attacks, maritime security sources say. If confirmed, the deaths would be the first fatalities in the area since June 2024.
Following a second attack on Tuesday morning, the crew were forced to jump into the water. Rescuers have been searching for survivors since Wednesday morning. The vessel’s operator, Cosmoship Management, has not responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.
A total of 10 survivors from the Eternity C have been rescued so far — eight Filipino crew members, one Indian and one Greek security guard. The four people rescued on Thursday morning had spent nearly 48 hours in the water.
“This fills us with more courage to continue to search for those missing, as the Greek vessel operator requested, and shows that our search plan was correct,” said Nikos Georgopoulos, an official at the Greece-based maritime risk firm Diaplous.
Another 11 people are still missing.
The United States’ Mission in Yemen has accused the Houthis of kidnapping crew members and has called for their immediate, unconditional release.
On Wednesday, the Houthis’ military spokesperson said in a televised address that the Yemeni navy had “responded to rescue a number of the ship’s crew, provide them with medical care, and transport them to a safe location.”
Fraught passage
The Eternity C sank on Wednesday, days after Houthis hit and sunk the Magic Seas, reviving a campaign launched in November 2023 that has seen more than 100 ships attacked in what the group said was solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza war.
Both of the vessels hit this week flew Liberian flags and were operated by Greek companies. All crew from the Magic Seas were rescued before it went down.
Some of their sister vessels in the respective fleets had made calls to Israeli ports in the past year, an analysis of shipping data showed.
Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen’s Houthi fighters, reiterated in a televised address on Thursday the group’s ban on companies transporting goods related to Israel through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.
He said this week’s attacks were part of that ban, which has been in place since 2023.
“It was never stopped or canceled, and it is a valid decision,” he said. “What was discovered (this week) was the violation by some companies of the decision.”
The insurance cost of shipping goods through the Red Sea has more than doubled since this week’s attacks, with some underwriters pausing cover for some voyages, industry sources said on Thursday.
The number of daily sailings through the narrow Bab Al-Mandab strait, at the southern tip of the Red Sea and a gateway to the Gulf of Aden, was 32 vessels on July 9, down from 43 on July 1, Lloyd’s List Intelligence data showed.
Several ships on Thursday broadcast messages referring to Chinese crew and management or armed guards on board, according to MarineTraffic data. One vessel broadcast that it had no relation with Israel.


Israeli forces arrest pro-Palestine activists near Jericho amid settlers’ attack

Updated 10 July 2025
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Israeli forces arrest pro-Palestine activists near Jericho amid settlers’ attack

  • The settlers entered Al-Auja Spring village on Wednesday and attempted to sabotage a Palestinian bedouin community’s source of livelihood

LONDON: Israeli forces detained several pro-Palestine activists with foreign nationalities north of Jericho in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday evening.

The Al-Baidar Organization for Defense of Bedouin Rights reported that activists were arrested while intervening on behalf of Palestinian residents of Al-Auja Spring village to protect the nomadic community’s cattle from an attack by Israeli settlers.

The settlers entered the village on Wednesday and released the cattle among the homes and cultivated land, sabotaging the community’s source of livelihood, the Al-Baidar human rights group said.

The Arab Al-Mlaihat clan living in the Jordan Valley relies on livestock for their income. Al-Baidar said that repeated settler attacks on this nomadic community aim to force them to leave the area.

The clan originally comes from the desert area of the Negev in Israel. However, due to political events and armed conflicts since 1948, the residents of Arab Al-Mlaihat were forced to live in different parts of the West Bank.

Dozens of Palestinian bedouin communities live in the Jordan Valley, an area that Israel has declared 45.7 percent of its northern part as military firing zones.

About 1 million Israeli settlers live in illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in violation of international law. Their violence against Palestinians has escalated since 2023, prompting Western governments to sanction some of their leaders; however, Israeli authorities rarely prosecute their actions.


King of Jordan meets leaders on sidelines of Sun Valley Conference in Idaho

Updated 10 July 2025
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King of Jordan meets leaders on sidelines of Sun Valley Conference in Idaho

  • King Abdullah II emphasized the need to modernize the economy and administration to enhance Jordan’s competitiveness

LONDON: King Abdullah II met with various business and technology leaders during the Sun Valley Conference taking place this week in the US state of Idaho.

The one-day annual gathering on July 8 brought together leaders from various fields, including technology, business, media, and entertainment.

The conference, funded by the private investment firm Allen & Company, is known as the Sun Valley Media and Technology Conference and is often referred to as the “summer camp for billionaires.” Alongside politicians, several technology and media leaders attended this year’s event, including the CEOs of Apple, Disney, and OpenAI.

On the sidelines of the forum this week, King Abdullah II met with representatives from several major international and US companies operating in sectors such as industry, mining, technology, trade, transport, defence, and media, the Petra news agency reported.

He also had a meeting with Scott Bessent, the US Treasury secretary. King Abdullah emphasized the significance of modernizing the economy and administration to enhance Jordan’s competitiveness, attract investments, and build partnerships, Petra added.

Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and Alaa Batayneh, the director of the king’s office, attended the meetings.