Author: M Barbu

Speaking ahead of the Finnish defense chief’s visit to Turkey, the top Turkish diplomat has complained that his country is still under de facto defense sales restrictions from Finland.

Finland has yet to lift arms embargoes against Turkey, a pledge that both Stochkholm and Helsinki made under a deal paving the way for the Nordic enlargement of NATO, the top Turkish diplomat said, speaking ahead of the Finnish defense chief’s visit to Ankara this week.

The Russians don’t seem too keen at the moment to send Syrian fighters to Ukraine, Danny Makki reports for al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Russia’s assault on Ukraine has been viciously raging for approximately two months, leaving little gains to show in the grand scheme of things.

In Syria, opponents found in oil a rare point of consensus to cooperate and pick clean the country’s wealth and revenues, according to Ibrahim Hamidi for Asharq al-Awsat.

With the war in Syria now in its twelfth year and with the US-Russian conflict still ongoing to control the oil sector and its potential, local belligerents and regional opponents have found in oil a rare point of consensus to cooperate and pick clean the country’s wealth and revenues.

Türkiye only coordinates with its allies, Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın said on Sunday, according to the Daily Sabah.

Türkiye does not seek permission for its security operations in Syria, and it only coordinates with its allies, Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın said on Sunday.

The predominantly Kurdish group Turkey blames for the November 13 Istanbul bombing says it won’t cooperate with US anti-ISIL operations.

A Syrian group which Turkey accuses of being involved in the November 13 Istanbul bombing has said it will no longer participate in joint counterterrorism operations with the United States and other allies, as it continues to come under Turkish attack.

According to the Pentagon, joint operations are still active but at a reduced level

The US-backed Kurdish militia, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), reaffirmed on 2 December that it has halted all joint “counter-terrorism” operations with Washington’s military coalition in Syria in protest against Ankara’s bombing campaign.

A conflict of interest between Ankara and Washington over Syria will likely see the two drift apart, with Turkiye aligning more closely with Eurasian powers.

The series of airstrikes against Kurdish militants in northern Syria by Turkish jets in the past week come amid heightened concerns over Ankara’s threat to launch a ground operation. Such actions are not without precedent, yet have thus far achieved little in terms of eradicating the security challenges posed by US-backed Kurdish fighters.

The strikes have also worsened northern Syria’s water crisis, as a number of water pumps and desalination plants have been halted

Syrian Oil Minister Bassam Tohme announced on 30 November that the Turkish airstrikes on northern Syria, which began around ten days ago, have severely damaged the country’s energy facilities, including a gas plant, several oil wells, and electricity stations.