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Northeast Syria: SDF’s Endgame and the Limits of Compromise with Damascus
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) face a critical juncture in their relationship with Damascus, nine months after the collapse of the Assad regime. As part of the current negotiations with…
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Arivan
Explainer: Why Are KRG Employees Paying for Pensions They Never Received?
The KRG public employees, who have already been going through a constant crisis in terms of their salary payments for a decade now, will now have their salaries deducted by…
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Arivan
Commission on PKK Disarmament Named ‘Brotherhood and Solidarity’ as CHP Backs Process
The newly formed Turkish parliamentary commission tasked with managing the peace process with the PKK has been officially named the “Brotherhood and Solidarity Commission”. The choice of name marks a…
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Arivan
Two Visions: How Iraqi Kurds View Their Relationship with Baghdad
The Kurdish relationship with Baghdad has long oscillated between partnership and confrontation, autonomy and estrangement. After two decades of post-2003 engagement with the Iraqi state—and failed attempts to unilaterally chart…
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Arivan
Maliki-Backed Candidate Wins Baghdad Governorship in Early Test Ahead of November Elections
In an early contest ahead of the November elections, the candidate backed by Nouri al-Maliki, the primary Shia rival to current Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, secured the Baghdad governorship…
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Arivan
The SDF–Damascus Integration Agreement Set to Begin with Pilot Phase in Deir ez-Zor
A senior Syrian government official has revealed that Damascus, in coordination with the United States, has proposed a scaled-down “integration” model starting with Deir ez-Zor province. This pilot stage is…
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Arivan
Turkey’s Emerging Kurd-Inclusive National Order
The political order emerging in Turkey since 2016 has been built around the narrative of existential threats, emphasizing the idea that the Turkish state and nation were under siege from…
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Arivan
Turkish Parliament Forms Commission to Address Legal Framework of Kurdish Peace Process
A new commission in the Turkish parliament tasked with advancing the Kurdish peace process has been formed, consisting of 51 members. Context: The ruling AKP holds 21 seats, the main…
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Arivan
US Pushes Iraq to Disarm Shia Militias, Block Bill Enabling IRGC-Style PMF Transformation
The United States has intensified its pressure on the Iraqi government to disarm Shiite militias and block the passage of a controversial bill that would expand and entrench the powers…
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Arivan
Explained: The Battle Over Disarming Iraq’s Shiite Militias
As Iraq nears its upcoming parliamentary elections and the Middle East continues to reel from escalating instability, the issue of Shiite armed groups and the future of the Popular Mobilization…
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