Commercial flights between Turkey and Syria have resumed after 13 years with a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to Damascus

Turkey has emerged as one of the most influential power brokers in Syria after rebels toppled Bashar al-Assad last month, ending his family's brutal five-decade rule. NATO member Turkey is now in a position to influence its neighbour's future diplomatically,

The first Turkish Airlines flight in 13 years landed in the Syrian capital Damascus on Thursday, an AFP correspondent reported. The plane arrived from Istanbul carrying aid and 345 passengers, including Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Eksi and Turkish officials, the correspondent said.

No country has as much to gain from a stable Syria as Turkey, and few have as much to lose if it implodes. Turkey is home to more than 3m Syrian refugees, and wants Syria to be safe enough for many to return.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for an inclusive transition in Syria after the fall of leader Bashar al-Assad, in a call with powerbroker Turkey, the State Department said Thursday.

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Syria's interim rulers are trying to form a united national army after the fall of Bashar Assad late last year.

Talks aimed at ending a 40-year-old militant conflict have fostered peace hopes in Turkey but the precarious situation of Kurdish forces in Syria and uncertainty about Ankara's intentions have left many Kurds anxious about the path ahead.

Turkish Airlines will resume its flights to Damascus, Syria, next week after a halt of more than a decade, officials said Wednesday following a visit by a delegation of Syria’s new, Turkey-backed rulers.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan underscored the need to grant Syria's new administration the opportunity to confront the issue of Kurdish militants operating within its borders. He emphasised that Turkish forces would not hesitate to act decisively should this matter remain unresolved.

Saudi Arabia and others are overlooking the new leadership’s jihadist past, hoping to gain an advantage on rivals in the strategically positioned country.

By Dr. Loqman Radpey Turkey’s bold foreign policy moves in recent years reflect a determined effort to redefine its regional and global role. From its military interventions in Syria to […]