For the past two weeks, Syria saw an escalation in violence that many feared could lead to a confrontation between Turkey and Russia. But after 6-hours of negotiations in Moscow, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, agreed to a ceasefire that took affect midnight Thursday. The two leaders also agreed to joint patrols on a crucial highway that rebels and the Syrian regime have fought to control. But many past ceasefires have failed, bringing the warring parties back to the starting point. Will this latest deal hold?

Dima Moussa

Vice President of the Syrian Coalition

Ibrahim Olabi

Director of Syrian Legal Development Programme

Ali Demirdas

Political Analyst

Turkey has made good on its threat to hold the Syrian regime accountable for its continued aggression. It announced Operation Spring Shield on March 1, just days after an air strike in the same area killed at least 35 Turkish soldiers. Now Russia says it will deploy military police to the strategic town of Saraqeb, the site of heavy fighting. Meanwhile, migrants continue to make their way to Europe, days after Turkey announced it would no longer hold them back. So where will Turkey's latest mission lead? And how will the new migrant crisis unfold?

Guests:

Matthew Bryza

Former US Ambassador

Onur Erim

Political Analyst

Bilgehan Ozturk

Political Analyst at SETA Research Centre

Nearly a million Syrians have been internally displaced in Idlib in the last three months alone. TRT Middle East Correspondent Sara Firth reports from the Turkey-Syria border where many Syrians have been caught in an increasingly desperate situation.

Syrian regime air strikes killed 33 Turkish soldiers on Thursday, in an escalation that Ankara describes as an act of war. In retaliation, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar says Ankara struck at least 200 regime targets. In Brussels, NATO has called on Russia and the Syrian regime to end the indiscriminate bombing of Idlib, where a million people have been driven from their homes since December. And as the humanitarian crisis in Syria worsens, Turkey says it can no longer prevent refugees from crossing its borders towards Europe.

Guests:

Vehbi Baysan

Assistant Professor at Ibn Haldun University

Tarek Cherkaoui

Manager of TRT World Research Centre

Murat Aslan

Associate Professor at Hasan Kalyoncu University

The UK has long supported Turkey’s drive to join the European Union, but Turkey lost that voice within the EU when the UK left the bloc on January 31. So, how will British Prime Minister Boris Johnson reorient the UK’s economic, political and security ties towards Turkey? And could the post Brexit reality bring the two countries closer?

Guests:

Nick de Bois

Former UK Conservative Member of Parliament

Ozan Ozkural

Co-founder and Managing Partner at Tanto Capital Partners

Turkey and Russia have been locked in a delicate dance in Syria for years: supporting opposing sides while making sure the conflict didn’t boil over. But the crisis in Syria’s northwest province of Idlib is pushing Turkey-Russia relations to the breaking point. Turkish President Recep Erdogan has long warned that he would not allow Bashar al Assad's aggression to go unchecked, be it against Turkish troops or Syrian civilians. But the message has fallen on deaf ears in Moscow as Assad continues to violate almost every agreement forged between Turkey and Russia. So how deep does the fracture run between the two most important players in Syria? And how will it play out on the ground?

Guests:

Hadi al-Bahra

Co-chair of the Constitutional Committee of the Syrian Opposition

Talip Kucukcan

Senior Fellow at TRT World Research Centre

The Syrian regime’s continued assault on Idlib and Moscow’s reluctance or inability to enforce past agreements, including the Astana process, has led Turkish officials to openly question Russia’s motives. Has Russia given the Assad regime the greenlight to directly engage Turkish forces? And how could that impact Ankara’s relations with Moscow? Plus the UK has long supported Turkey’s drive to join the European Union, but Turkey lost that voice within the EU when the UK left the bloc on January 31. But is there an opportunity for Ankara and London to forge a new relationship now that the UK has ‘recaptured its sovereignty?’

Guests:

Hadi al-Bahra

Co-chair of the Constitutional Committee of the Syrian Opposition

Talip Kucukcan

Senior Fellow at TRT World Research Centre

Nick de Bois

Former UK Conservative Member of Parliament

Ozan Ozkural

Co-founder and Managing Partner of Tanto Capital Partners

Teknopark Istanbul is Turkey’s hub for technological innovation, with more and more of the country’s advancements in the defense and aerospace industries being developed there. Alongside established companies, the campus has a dedicated space for startups. Omer Kablan has more on how Teknopark hopes to make a dent in the global tech world.

There’s growing backlash against the Saudi Arabian ship Bahri Yanbu. The ship is suspected of picking up hundreds of millions dollars’ worth of arms in North America and Europe, for the war in Yemen. So, what’s behind the global anger against the world’s largest arms importer? Plus, Teknopark Istanbul is developing technology for Turkey’s defense and aerospace industries alongside startups focusing on everything from healthcare to drones. Could this campus one day rival Silicon Valley?

Guests:

Holly Topham

Editor at Sana’a Centre For Strategic Studies

Marwan Kabalan

Director of Policy Analysis at the Arab Centre

Hande Cilingir

Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Insider

Ilhan Elgin

Founder of Core Strategy

From 2014 to 2018, Saudi Arabia was the world's largest arms importer. The kingdom also spent more money on its military in 2018 than any other country, except for the US and China. 67 billion dollars. And that's for a nation of just 34 million people. Most of those weapons came from the same countries that have criticised Saudi Arabia's five-year campaign in Yemen. To transport much of that military hardware, Riyadh has relied on a cargo ship called the Bahri Yanbu. When it stopped at ports in Europe earlier this month, it was greeted by protests and lawsuits. Will global anger against Riyadh’s role in Yemen’s war hinder its ability to buy weapons abroad?

Guests:

Holly Topham

Editor at Sana’a Centre For Strategic Studies

Marwan Kabalan

Director of Policy Analysis at the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies