Knowledge Tree
Relations (1)
related 5.73 — strongly supporting 52 facts
Türkiye and Syria are linked through Türkiye's ongoing military interventions and strategic involvement in the Syrian conflict, as detailed in [1], [2], and [3]. Their relationship has evolved from a pre-2011 partnership [4] to a complex dynamic involving Türkiye's support for opposition groups [5], diplomatic negotiations [6], and efforts to reshape the balance of power in Damascus [7].
Facts (52)
Sources
Opportunities for Collective Regional Security in the Middle East carnegieendowment.org 37 facts
accountBefore 2011, Türkiye, led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Justice and Development Party (AKP), maintained strong relations with regional neighbors, including a cooperative partnership with Syria and President Bashar al-Assad centered on a shared stance of 'resistance' to Israel.
claimTürkiye's support for Islamist movements in Libya, Syria, and Yemen caused its diplomatic, political, trade, and investment relations with most Gulf countries, Iraq, and Iran to shift into tensions and conflict.
perspectiveTürkiye seeks to redefine its regional role by balancing assertive military actions in Syria with diplomatic efforts to foster stability in Palestine and the Middle East.
claimTürkiye tasked the Syrian National Army with increasing military pressure on Kurdish groups in northeastern Syria.
claimTürkiye's support for Islamist groups in Libya, Syria, and Yemen caused its diplomatic, political, and trade relations with most Gulf countries, Iraq, and Iran to deteriorate into tensions and confrontation.
claimTürkiye tasked the Syrian National Army with increasing military pressure on Kurdish groups located in northeastern Syria.
claimTürkiye directed the militia group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham to intensify military operations against the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria.
claimRegional actors are currently involved in direct or proxy conflicts: Israel is in tension with Iran; Türkiye is intervening in Syria and Iraq; the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are militarily involved in Yemen; and Egypt is involved in Libya, Sudan, and the Horn of Africa.
claimTürkiye has achieved strategic gains in Syria by capitalizing on Iran's diminishing influence in the Arab Mashreq.
perspectiveTürkiye seeks to redefine its regional role by balancing assertive military actions in Syria with diplomatic efforts to foster stability in Palestine and the wider Middle East.
claimTürkiye's dual-pronged military strategy in Syria aimed to eliminate Iranian influence in Damascus and address Turkish concerns regarding the existential threat of Kurdish militancy.
claimIran expressed anger toward Türkiye due to Turkish threats against the Iranian-backed Assad regime in Syria.
claimTo achieve long-term objectives in Syria, such as integrating Turkish-backed militias into governance, pressuring Kurdish factions, returning Syrian refugees, and spearheading reconstruction, Türkiye must coordinate with Iran, Israel, Egypt, and Gulf States.
accountThe AKP-led government of Türkiye supported Islamist groups in Libya, Syria, and Yemen during the popular uprisings that evolved into civil wars in those countries.
claimIn late 2024, Türkiye shifted to an assertive, proxy-based military strategy in Syria, focusing on supporting armed militias to overthrow the Bashar al-Assad regime in Damascus.
claimIn late 2024, Türkiye shifted to an assertive, proxy-based military strategy in Syria as the second dimension of its post-October 2023 policy.
claimTürkiye has achieved strategic gains in Syria by capitalizing on Iran’s diminishing influence in the Arab Mashreq and coordinating diplomatically with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt.
accountBetween 2020 and 2023, Türkiye began a partial retreat from its unilateral support for armed Islamist groups in Syria and took steps to revive trade, investment, and diplomatic relations with Arab governments and Iran.
claimThe government of Iran expressed anger toward Türkiye due to Turkish threats against the Iranian-backed Assad regime in Syria, while the government of Iraq's relationship with Türkiye deteriorated due to persistent Turkish military incursions into northern Iraq.
accountBetween 2020 and 2023, the government of Türkiye recalibrated its Middle East policies, taking steps to rebuild diplomatic and economic ties with Arab governments and Iran, and initiated a partial retreat from its unilateral support for armed Islamist groups in Syria.
claimTürkiye maintains a dual approach toward Israel, characterized by public condemnation of Israeli actions alongside covert military and operational cooperation in Syria.
claimCurrent regional policies often entangle Middle Eastern states in direct or proxy conflicts, such as Israel’s tensions with Iran, Türkiye’s intervention in Syria and Iraq, and the military involvement of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in Yemen.
claimBenjamin Netanyahu’s government is likely aware that regional powers such as Türkiye, which is focused on curtailing Iranian influence in Syria, are not invested in overthrowing the Islamic Republic or dismantling Iran as a state.
accountTürkiye participated in the Astana negotiation process alongside Russia and Iran to pursue political solutions for stabilizing the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
accountBetween 2011 and 2020, the government of Türkiye armed Islamist opposition groups in Syria and Libya and conducted various military interventions in both countries.
claimAbu Dhabi is concerned about the potential fallout from the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, the resurgence of Islamist groups in Syria, and the geopolitical competition among Türkiye, Iran, and Israel in the Arab Mashreq.
claimAbu Dhabi is concerned about the potential fallout from the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, the resurgence of Islamist groups in Syria, and the geopolitical competition among Türkiye, Iran, and Israel in the Arab Mashreq.
claimTürkiye maintains a dual approach toward Israel, characterized by public condemnation of Israeli actions alongside covert military and operational cooperation in Syria.
claimTürkiye's military strategy in Syria was intended to facilitate the repatriation of millions of Syrian refugees currently residing within Turkish borders.
claimTürkiye's military strategy in Syria in late 2024 was enabled by the weakening of Iranian deterrence and Hezbollah, Russia's distraction with the war in Ukraine, and the diminished capabilities of pro-Iranian forces.
claimBenjamin Netanyahu's government is likely aware that regional powers like Türkiye are focused on curtailing Iranian influence in Syria rather than overthrowing the Islamic Republic or dismantling Iran as a state.
accountBefore 2011, Türkiye, led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Justice and Development Party (AKP), maintained strong relations with regional neighbors, including a cooperative partnership with Syria and President Bashar al-Assad centered on a shared stance of "resistance" to Israel.
claimTürkiye's military strategy in Syria aims to facilitate the repatriation of millions of Syrian refugees currently residing in Türkiye.
claimTürkiye executed its 2024 Syria strategy by capitalizing on the weakening of Iranian deterrence and Hezbollah, Russia's distraction with the war in Ukraine, and the diminished organizational capabilities of pro-Iranian forces.
claimTürkiye's dual-pronged military approach in Syria aims to eliminate Iranian influence in Damascus and address concerns regarding the threat of Kurdish militancy.
claimFollowing Syria's return to the Arab League, Türkiye explored diplomatic relations with the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
claimTürkiye's 2024 military strategy in Syria was designed to reshape the balance of power in Damascus to protect Turkish security interests.
The crises in the Middle East: reshaping the region's geopolitical ... link.springer.com 5 facts
claimThe weakness of Syrian and Iraqi governance has allowed regional powers Turkey and Iran to expand their influence, project power beyond their borders, and assert their interests in regional affairs.
accountRussia emerged as a kingmaker in Syria by utilizing military assistance, diplomatic initiatives, and strategic partnerships with Iran and Turkey to shape the conflict's trajectory and post-war reconstruction.
claimSaeed (2019b) argues that because the complexities of the Kurdish question in Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq have been neglected, similar unexpected events to the October 2023 conflict could occur in these countries.
claimHizbulla and Hamas in Lebanon and Palestine, and Kurdish liberation movements in Syria, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran, have a crucial impact on the balance of power in regional rivalries.
claimThe Kurds are an ethnic group with distinct cultural and linguistic characteristics inhabiting a contiguous region spanning Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria.
After the War: Rethinking Regional Security in the Middle ... arab-reform.net 4 facts
perspectiveA new regional security doctrine should be developed by the principal Arab states most directly affected by current disorder—specifically the GCC countries, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt—working in coordination with Türkiye.
perspectiveA viable regional pact should include an agenda for energy interconnection, reconstruction finance for the Levant, and trade integration linking the Gulf to Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Türkiye.
claimRegional political dynamics are currently characterized by Saudi-Turkish distrust, relatively recent Egyptian-Turkish normalization, acute Saudi-Emirati rivalry, the fragility of Syria, the weakness of the Lebanese state, and internal rivalries within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
claimTürkiye, while not an Arab state, is deeply implicated in the security and economy of Syria, Iraq, the Eastern Mediterranean, and the wider regional balance, making it essential to include in any new regional security architecture.
Ethnobotanical and Food Composition Monographs of Selected ... ouci.dntb.gov.ua 1 fact
referenceRivera D, Matilla-Riquer G, Obón C, and Alcaraz F (2012) published a diachronic ethnobotanical review of ancient and traditional plant uses for food and medicine in the Near East and the Caucasus, covering Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey.
After Khamenei: Regional Reckoning and the Future of Iran's Proxy ... stimson.org 1 fact
accountIn 2024, Iran's power projection capabilities suffered setbacks with the fall of the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad to Turkish-backed Sunni Muslim forces and the assassination of Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah by Israel.
The EU between strategic autonomy and the transatlantic relationship esisc.org 1 fact
claimTurkey's future strategic priorities are complicated by its relations with Russia and its military posture in Syria and Libya.
The Persian Gulf TV War by Douglas Kellner (http://www.gseis.ucla ... pages.gseis.ucla.edu 1 fact
accountDick Cheney secured a multibillion-dollar arms contract with Saudi Arabia during his initial meeting with the Saudis, followed by new arms deals with Egypt, Syria, Turkey, and Bahrain.
Iran in crisis: the landscape after the Twelve-Day War - OSW osw.waw.pl 1 fact
accountWorking in tandem with Russia, Iran secured control over Syria and countered regional rivals such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
The Arab Approach to Mediation—Reshaping Diplomacy in a ... washingtoninstitute.org 1 fact
claimThe United Arab Emirates has prioritized de-escalation and normalization with Iran, Israel, Turkey, Qatar, and Syria to support its focus on regional stability and economic diversification.