Turkey is gathering forces near the border with Syria. What the media say
As a result of the change of power in Syria, Turkey, according to Western media, has gained the most. Its influence in the region will now increase, but at the same time, the U.S. fears its possible invasion of Syria because of the Kurdish issue, which is supported by the fact that Ankara is pulling up its forces to the border. The Izvestia digest shows how the world media see the situation in the Middle East.
The Washington Post: Syrian rebel leader to disband all fighters and unite them under new defense ministry
The leader of Syria's armed opposition and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, banned in Russia), Abu Mohammed al-Julani (real name Ahmed al-Sharaa), said that all rebel groups will be disbanded and the fighters will unite under the auspices of the Defense Ministry. He said Syria should be unified and all fighters would be subject to the law.
The Washington Post
The rebel groups that joined the HTS in opposing Assad were a complex mix of fighters, sometimes backed by foreign powers, who were focused on fighting a variety of enemies, including each other. Sharaa's ambitious goal of uniting all the factions into a national army is one of a number of promises he is making to show that his government will be inclusive of all Syrians as it claims international legitimacy
In recent years, the HTS, which remains on the State Department's list of terrorist organizations and has historically been linked to IS and al-Qaeda (terrorist organizations banned in Russia), has sought to describe itself as an Islamist movement that is more focused on local issues than international jihad.
The Wall Street Journal: U.S. fears Turkey's military buildup indicates plans to invade Syria
Senior U.S. officials note that Turkey is concentrating forces along the Syrian border. This is worrisome because it could signal Ankara's plans for a large-scale invasion of territory where Syrian Kurds are backed by the U.S.
The Wall Street Journal
The force includes militia fighters, Turkish elite units and large amounts of artillery, officials said, and is concentrated near Kobani, a Kurdish-majority town in Syria near the Turkish border. A Turkish cross-border operation may be imminent, one U.S. official said
Turkey's threat has put the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which along with U.S. troops in northeastern Syria are chasing remnants of IS militants, in a vulnerable position weeks before the departure of the Joe Biden administration. Ilham Ahmed, a spokesman for the Syrian Kurdish civilian administration, warned Donald Trump that a Turkish invasion would displace more than 200,000 Kurdish civilians in Kobani alone, as well as many members of Christian communities.
The Guardian: Turkey has become a "gateway to the outside world" for Syria
Less than a week after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad resigned, Turkey's flag flew above the country's embassy in Damascus for the first time in 12 years. A few days earlier, Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin arrived in the republic, with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader Ahmed al-Sharaa driving his car. He was the first senior foreign official to visit Syria's new leadership.
The Guardian
Darin Khalifa of the non-profit international organization Crisis Group describes Kalin's visit to the Syrian capital as a "victory lap" as Ankara has been the main beneficiary of the change of power in Damascus. Assad's departure <....> has given Ankara new opportunities in the power struggle in Kurdish areas in the northeast and its influence in Syria's reconstruction process
Analysts said Ankara had been holding back the HTS for months and delaying the start of the group's offensive. Then there were attempts to use a meeting with Russian and Iranian officials in early November to bring Assad to the negotiating table. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Assad had rejected his offer to "discuss the future of Syria together", blowing his last chance to prevent a major opposition military offensive.
Reuters: ceasefire agreement in Gaza Strip may be reached soon
An agreement to end 14 months of fighting in Gaza and free Israeli hostages could be signed in the coming days, thanks to progress made at talks in Cairo.
Reuters
The U.S. administration, joined by mediators from Egypt and Qatar, has made intense efforts in recent days to advance the talks before President Joe Biden leaves office next month
The sources said an agreement could be finalized in a few days: it would not only stop the firing but also return the hostages held by Hamas. CIA Director William Burns, a key U.S. negotiator, was due in Doha on Wednesday for talks with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on bridging the remaining differences between Israel and Hamas, other knowledgeable sources said.
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