Latest Hakan Fidan News

Kurdish-led forces push back Turkish-backed Syrian rebels in a tense offensive

Dec. 24, 2024 17:59 PM EST

QAMISHLI, Syria (AP) — Kurdish-led fighters in Syria, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, said Tuesday they have launched a counter-offensive against the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army to take back areas near Syria’s northern border with Turkey. The Kurdish-led SDF is...

Middle East latest: Israeli strike in Gaza kills at least 7 people, including 4 kids

Dec. 20, 2024 17:09 PM EST

An Israeli airstrike on a residential building in central Gaza killed at least seven Palestinians, including four children, and wounded 16 other people Friday afternoon, health officials said. Israel faces heavy international criticism over the unprecedented levels of civilian...

Middle East latest: Syrians celebrate Assad's fall as US seeks a peaceful political transition

Dec. 13, 2024 19:31 PM EST

Thousands of Syrians gathered in Damascus’ main square and a historic mosque for the first Muslim Friday prayers since former President Bashar Assad was overthrown, a major symbolic moment for the country’s dramatic change of power. The rebels are now working to establish security and start a...

Syrians cheer end of 50 years of Assad rule at first Friday prayers since government fell

Dec. 13, 2024 16:31 PM EST

DAMASCUS (AP) — Exuberant Syrians observed the first Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad, gathering in the capital's historic main mosque, its largest square and around the country to celebrate the end of half a century of authoritarian rule. The newly...

Hundreds of Syrians line up at Turkish border crossings as Erdogan expects more to go home

Dec. 09, 2024 23:24 PM EST

CILVEGOZU BORDER CROSSING, Turkey (AP) — Hundreds of Syrian refugees gathered at two border crossings in southern Turkey on Monday, eagerly anticipating their return home following the fall of Bashar Assad’s government. Many arrived at the Cilvegozu and Oncupinar gates at...

Syrian government services come to a 'complete halt' as state workers stay home after rebel takeover

Dec. 09, 2024 17:30 PM EST

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria's prime minister said Monday that most cabinet ministers were back at work after rebels overthrew President Bashar Assad, but some state workers failed to return to their jobs, and a United Nations official said the country's public sector had come “to a complete...

Global reaction to Assad's sudden ouster from Syria ranges from jubilation to alarm

Dec. 08, 2024 16:58 PM EST

Across the Middle East and beyond, the fall of Syria’s authoritarian government at the hands of jihadi militants set off waves of jubilation, trepidation and alarm. Expatriate Syrians and many residents across the Middle East exulted at the overthrow of a leader who led his country...

Syria latest: Syrians celebrate Bashar Assad's fall as his whereabouts remain unknown

Dec. 08, 2024 08:32 AM EST

Crowds gathered in Syria's Damascus on Sunday to celebrate the fall of Bashar Assad’s government with chants, prayers and the occasional gunfire after opposition fighters entered the capital following a stunning advance. Rami Abdurrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights,...

Where Turkey stands as Syrian government falls to opposition insurgents

Dec. 08, 2024 07:13 AM EST

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Syrian refugees across Turkey jubilantly welcomed the downfall of Bashar Assad’s government Sunday, with many embracing the chance to return to their homeland. Large crowds waving Syrian and Turkish flags gathered in the main square of Kilis, a border city...

Syrian insurgents capture four central towns as government forces reclaim some territory

Dec. 04, 2024 00:37 AM EST

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian insurgents captured four new towns early Tuesday, bringing them closer to the central city of Hama, opposition activists said, while government forces retook some territory they lost last week. The new push came as Turkey's president — whose country is a main...