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Sam Heller | سام هيلر @abujamajem.com · 11h

In valedictory @financialtimes.com interview, outgoing UN envoy Pedersen very critical on state of Syrian transition and Shara's management of process: www.ft.com/content/0af9...

Syria on ‘knife-edge’ in wake of sectarian clashes, warns UN envoy

Slow place of reform adds to pressure on Ahmed al-Sharaa’s fragile new government

www.ft.com

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Hetav Rojan @hetavrojan.eu · 1d

TL;DR
Most seats went to Sunni men.
Only 6 women and 10 minorities were elected nationwide.
apnews.com/article/syri...

Minorities had hoped to break into Syria's new political order in the weekend vote but few succeeded

Syria's first parliamentary elections since the ouster of former President Bashar Assad have revealed deep divisions among the country's minority communities.

apnews.com

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Hetav Rojan @hetavrojan.eu · 1d

Turkey extends airspace closure to flights to and from Sulaymaniyah Airport until January 6, 2026. The ban was initially imposed in April 2023.
www.basnews.com/en/babat/896...

www.basnews.com

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David Wells @davidwellsct.bsky.social · 1d

New paper out with the CoE exploring how and how quickly terrorists adopt new technologies. It identifies factors inhibiting or encouraging new tech adoption - with two case studies on virtual assets and drones - and analyses the impact of new tech on terrorism in Europe rm.coe.int/report-on-th...

rm.coe.int

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Hetav Rojan @hetavrojan.eu · 2d

Tak for at sende forbi, Søren! Spændende læsning.

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Hetav Rojan @hetavrojan.eu · 3d

Rich in detail: this report traces how July’s violence in Sweida pushed Druze factions toward seeing autonomy as a viable political option.
apnews.com/article/syri...

Druze seek Sweida autonomy and turn toward Israel, adding new twist to Syria's tensions

When Syrian government forces entered the minority Druze enclave of Sweida this summer, it backfired.

apnews.com

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Hetav Rojan @hetavrojan.eu · 3d

Rare primary-source look at Druze groups in Suwayda w/ Hijri endorsements. This interview with a National Guard constituent group offers valuable insight into local dynamics often missing from broader analyses.
www.aymennaltamimi.com/p/druze-fact...

Druze Factions in al-Suwayda' after the National Guard Merger: Interview with a Constituent Group

Since late August, virtually all Druze armed factions in the southern Syrian province of al-Suwayda’ have merged into the ‘National Guard’ initiative that is endorsed by Hikmat al-Hijri (one of the th...

www.aymennaltamimi.com

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Hetav Rojan @hetavrojan.eu · 3d

This is a well-sourced report on Turkey’s evolving Syria policy, drawing on Turkish-language material that’s often missing from English-language debates.

www.ispionline.it/en/publicati...

Turkey-Syria Relations: The Outcome of Long-Term Cooperation | ISPI

Turkey’s swift embrace of Syria’s new leadership has transformed Damascus from a security file into a partner in diplomacy, trade, and reconstruction, reshaping regional dynamics and testing internati...

www.ispionline.it

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Hetav Rojan @hetavrojan.eu · 3d

As Syria holds its first election since Assad’s exit, Syrians must look to European courts for accountability.

www.reuters.com/world/middle...

German police arrest Syrian man suspected of crimes against humanity

German police arrested on Tuesday a Syrian man suspected of committing crimes against humanity, including killing and torturing, as a militia leader in 2011 in Aleppo, prosecutors said.

www.reuters.com

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Hetav Rojan @hetavrojan.eu · 3d

In Syria, a new generation has been shaped by competing political projects as much as by war. On the eve of the first election in 50 years, their exclusion risks reinforcing the very divides the vote is meant to bridge.

www.wsj.com/world/middle...

The Women Who Helped Defeat ISIS Are Fighting for Their Place in the New Syria

Kurdish forces that have elevated women are wary of the Islamist values of Syria’s new governors.

www.wsj.com

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Turkey recap @turkeyrecap.bsky.social · 3d

Sunday extras:

"Can Turkey and Israel Find Common Ground in Syria?" with Kenneth Pollack, @gonultol.bsky.social and @natansachs.bsky.social . [1/5]

Can Turkey and Israel Find Common Ground in Syria?

YouTube video by Middle East Institute

www.youtube.com

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The Associated Press @apnews.com · 3d

Syria is holding parliamentary elections for the first time since the fall of the country’s longtime autocratic leader, Bashar Assad, who was unseated in a rebel offensive in December. Here’s a breakdown of how the elections will work and what to watch:

What to expect as Syria goes to the polls for the first time since Assad's ouster

Syria is holding parliamentary elections for the first time since its autocratic former president, Bashar Assad, was unseated in December.

bit.ly

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Aron Lund @aronlund.bsky.social · 14d

Fascinating survey of Syrian public opinion by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies. Found through @abuaardvark.bsky.social's Substack newsletter (which is also fascinating). arabcenterdc.org/resource/ara...

Arab Opinion Index: Syrian Public Opinion Survey 2025

The results of the latest public opinion poll conducted in Syria between July and August 2025, surveying more than 3,500 Syrians. The poll provides rare and valuable insights into public attitudes in ...

arabcenterdc.org

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DIIS - Danish Institute for International Studies @diis.dk · Aug 29

A new DIIS report maps the patchwork of armed political actors in Syria after Assad’s exit. Get to know the competing power centres and their transnational ties to understand Syria’s transition 👉 www.diis.dk/en/node/27819 @hetavrojan.eu @monakanwalsheikh.bsky.social

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EADI @eadi.bsky.social · Aug 29

Also featured in our newsletter yesterday
mailchi.mp/eadi/nl2augu...

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Hetav Rojan @hetavrojan.eu · Aug 28

My report "Syria in Transition" is live.
This is a field guide to Syria 2.0. It maps how domestic and external actors are asserting control in competing power centres.

Made possible by @monakanwalsheikh.bsky.social, our team at @diis.dk & the peer reviewers. Thank you.
→ www.diis.dk/en/research/...

Front page of a report with the title Syria in Transition. Background is beige-hued and the central motive is a map outline of Syria with water-color shadings of different colors to imply the diversity of identities in Syria.

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Hetav Rojan @hetavrojan.eu · Aug 28

Black Hawk was attacked by cocaine-trafficking group.
“This is the first drone attack we’ve heard of in Antioquia,”
www.wsj.com/world/americ...

Police Helicopter Downed by Drone in Colombia, Killing 12

A Black Hawk was attacked by cocaine-trafficking group, officials said, the latest in an escalating series of drone attacks against security forces.

www.wsj.com

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Haid Haid @haidhaid22.bsky.social · Jul 22

My latest argues that the ceasefire may have stopped the shooting, but it’s no return to normal. Syria has changed at its core, and without tackling the underlying causes, this calm won’t hold. en.majalla.com/node/326545/...

Solution needed: Suweida’s ceasefire is a pause, not peace

The guns may have fallen silent but in Syria's Druze-dominated southern city, they have enforced the status quo. That is dangerous, since it fails to recognise that Syria has now fundamentally changed

en.majalla.com

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Hetav Rojan @hetavrojan.eu · Jul 21

Quick backdrop: Iraq halted oil exports via the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline in March 2023 after an international arbitration ruling found Turkey in breach of the agreement for allowing independent KRG exports without Baghdad’s approval.

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Hetav Rojan @hetavrojan.eu · Jul 20

Far from closing the door on cooperation, Turkey may be using legal termination as a negotiating tactic aiming to secure more favourable terms and reassert its strategic role in regional energy transit.

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Hetav Rojan @hetavrojan.eu · Jul 20

The move increases pressure on Baghdad to resume exports under revised terms, especially as budgetary constraints in Baghdad mount. For Turkey, restarting flows supports its long-term ambition to position itself as a regional energy hub.

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Hetav Rojan @hetavrojan.eu · Jul 20

By cancelling the agreement, Ankara may be seeking to undercut the legal basis of the ruling and push for a new arrangement. One that resets the terms of engagement with Baghdad and potentially bypasses past liabilities.

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Hetav Rojan @hetavrojan.eu · Jul 20

The halt has kept ~450,000 barrels per day offline, costing Iraq significant revenue and leaving Turkey without transit fees. Ankara was also ordered to pay Iraq ~$1.5 billion in damages.
globalarbitrationreview.com/article/iraq...

Iraq and Turkey see award in multibillion oil dispute

UPDATED: An ICC tribunal has awarded just under US$1.5 billion to Iraq in a decade-long dispute with Turkey over crude oil exports from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region – though Turkey says it def...

globalarbitrationreview.com

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Hetav Rojan @hetavrojan.eu · Jul 20

Quick backdrop: Iraq halted oil exports via the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline in March 2023 after an international arbitration ruling found Turkey in breach of the agreement for allowing independent KRG exports without Baghdad’s approval.

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Hetav Rojan @hetavrojan.eu · Jul 20

Turkey has announced it will terminate its 1973 oil pipeline agreement with Iraq, effective July 2026. While framed as a legal move, the decision is likely a strategic manoeuvre in ongoing energy negotiations with Baghdad.

Türkiye-Irak Petrol Boru Hattı Anlaşması, seneye sona erecek

t24.com.tr

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