Putin’s perfect storm

One announcement came from Berlin. Another came from Washington. And they came weeks apart. German intelligence warned in late November that Russia had launched a campaign to meddle in upcoming elections to the Bundestag. And in early December, the CIA said it concluded that Moscow had already interfered in the U.S. presidential election. In any […]

Russia, Turkey: US supporting Syria ‘terrorist’ groups

Turkey and Russia have separately accused the United States of backing what they call “terrorist groups” in Syria, on the same day they agreed to push for talks in Kazakhstan next month over the conflict. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that he had evidence that US-led coalition forces give support to the […]

Syria conflict: Ceasefire agreed for midnight, backed by Russia and Turkey

The Syrian government and rebel groups have agreed to a ceasefire from midnight (22:00 GMT) across the country,followed by peace talks. The deal was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin and confirmed by the Turkish foreign ministry. Russia and Turkey, which back opposing sides in the bitter conflict, will act as guarantors. Turkey said all […]

Turkey and Russia agree on draft Syria ceasefire, report says

Turkey and Russia have reportedly agreed on a draft nationwide ceasefire in Syria, the Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu said Wednesday. The report cited an unnamed source saying that Ankara and Moscow would try to bring a ceasefire into effect at midnight. It was not immediately clear if any of the Syrian rebel groups were […]

Russian ambassador assassination motives still unknown to the public

The assassination of the Russian ambassador in Turkey shocked the world. The murder was followed yesterday by talks in Beirut, between Turkey, Iran, and Russia. Recent reports complicated the situation as Jaish Al-Fatah, a Saudi-backed group, and the Gray Wolves, a Turkish precise nationalist movements are implicated to be involved in the assassination. However, claims […]

Should Turkey be kicked out of NATO once and for all?

In recent years, many Americans (and other nationalities for that matter) have asked the question of why Turkey is allowed to stay in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).  Created during the Cold War to balance power against the Warsaw Pact nations of the Soviet Union, NATO consists of America, Canada, and 26 European nations […]

Russia, Iran, and Turkey meet on Syria, excluding U.S.

Russia, Iran, and Turkey meet and discuss Syria without the United States in Beirut, Lebanon. Leaving the U.S. in an awkward diplomatic position. The U.S. was not invited and the UN wasn’t notified. No official reaction has come from either the White House or the President-elect’s transition team. Although it’s certain, there will be a […]

Former CIA officer on the ramifications of Russian ambassador assassination

Monday the Russian Ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, was shot and killed while speaking at the opening of a photo exhibit in Ankara, Turkey. The gunman, Mert Altintas, was a Turkish policeman, although there are conflicting reports as to whether he had been dismissed from his position prior to the attack. In any event, while Altintas was not part of […]

Man with gun arrested after trying to enter US Embassy in Ankara

A man, identified only as “Şahin S.” was arrested as he tried to enter the US Embassy in Ankara today following the deadly attack on the Russian Ambassador. The man fired his weapon in the air before police arrested him. SOFREP reported on the US Embassy lockdown earlier but details were not released yet. It is unknown at this time […]