The 19th Astana talks kicked off this week in the Kazakh capital, with Türkiye, Russia and Iran expressing concern over the volatile situation in Syria's northeast. While the three countries reaffirmed their commitment to Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, there were some tough words and warnings. And there were also some mixed messages coming out of Washington on Ankara's security concerns. After the Astana talks, Russia asked Türkiye to refrain from a full-scale ground offensive into Syria. Türkiye, which suffered a terrorist attack in Istanbul earlier this month, launched a new round of air strikes against YPG targets in northern Syria and Iraq. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated that a ground operation could come at any time. Syria, which has been in a civil war since 2011, has seen its territory overrun by several terror groups, including Daesh and the YPG. Türkiye has launched three major operations to clear its border, where it hopes to create a safe for the return of millions of Syrian refugees.

Guests:

Marwan Kabalan

Doha Institute for Graduate Studies

Yusuf Alabarda

Security Analyst