Greater Middle East
Turkey: investigate arrests of opposition leaders
The People's Democratic Party of Turkey called on the European Court of Human Rights to investigate the unlawful imprisonment of the party's co-chairs.
Tag: Turkey
Syria
Syria: Idlib between jihadis and imperial air-raids
Idlib governorate, where evacuees from Aleppo were forced to flee, is dominated by jihadist factions that both threaten secularists and draw air-strikes from the US and Russia alike.
Greater Middle East
Turkish president approves constitutional overhaul
President Erdogan approved a bill clearing the way for a referendum on constitutional changes that opponents charge could lead to "one-man rule" in Turkey.
Iraq
Can Assad (and Putin) reconquer all Syria?
Trump dramatically steps up US air-strikes along the Syrian border in Iraq, as Russia pitches the Kurds and Syrian rebels on a peace deal that will allow Assad to remain in power.
Syria
Syria: first joint US-Russian air-strikes?
The Pentagon denied Moscow’s claims of joint US-Russian air-strikes against ISIS, but the White House signalled its willingness to cooperate with Russia in Syria.
Europe
Greece: thousands of refugees confined to islands
More than 14,000 asylum seekers currently confined to five Greek islands in the Aegean Sea are facing dire circumstances due to unusually harsh winter conditions.
Greater Middle East
Turkey: plan to expand presidential power advances
The Turkish Parliament approved a plan which, if approved by popular vote, would increase presidential powers and allow Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan to stay in office until 2029.
Syria
Russia signs pact for long-term Syria bases
Russia signed a long-term pact to greatly enlarge its military presence in Syria, more than doubling the space for warships at Tartus, Russia’s only Mediterranean port.
North America
Human Rights Watch: Trump portends ‘tyranny’
In its yearly report, Human Rights Watch warns that the rise of populist leaders "poses a dangerous threat to basic rights"—particularly naming Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
Greater Middle East
Turkey: life term for Kurdish opposition leader?
Turkish prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for Figen YüksekdaÄŸ, co-chair of the Kurdish-led Peoples’ Democratic Party, on charges of “terrorism” for her alleged ties to PKK.
Watching the Shadows
Obama’s final year: a CounterVortex scorecard
With a Trump despotism looming, CounterVortex offers its final assessment of Barack Obama's record in addressing the oppressive legacy of the Global War on Terrorism.
Syria
Great Power betrayal to re-unite Syrian revolution?
Now abandoned by all the Great Powers, Syria’s popular resistance is again emphasizing internal unity against the Assad dictatorship, bridging Arab and Kurdish forces.