Syria

Britain is to ship heavy machine guns to Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) jihadists in Iraq, Defense Secretary Michael Fallon announced Sept. 9.

The arms shipment, worth 1.6 million pounds ($2.6 million, two million euros), will arrive in Iraq on Sept. 10.

Britain is to ship heavy machine guns to Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) jihadists in Iraq, Defense Secretary Michael Fallon announced Sept. 9.

The arms shipment, worth 1.6 million pounds ($2.6 million, two million euros), will arrive in Iraq on Sept. 10.

Staffan de Mistura, the new United Nations envoy on the Syrian crisis, arrived in Damascus on Sept. 9 for his first visit since being appointed to the post.

De Mistura was seen arriving at his hotel at the beginning of a trip expected to last three days and include meetings with Syrian government officials and members of the tolerated domestic opposition.

Staffan de Mistura, the new United Nations envoy on the Syrian crisis, arrived in Damascus on Sept. 9 for his first visit since being appointed to the post.

De Mistura was seen arriving at his hotel at the beginning of a trip expected to last three days and include meetings with Syrian government officials and members of the tolerated domestic opposition.

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon on Tuesday called for world intelligence agencies to work together against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group.        

Turkey’s newly-assigned Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has held a telephone conversation with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State John Kerry, amid Washington-led efforts to forge an international coalition against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.

Another Macedonian citizen reportedly dies in Middle East

SKOPJE -- A 23-year-old Macedonian citizen identified as Dzelal S. has died in the war in Syria, according to reports.

His photograph has been posted on social networks along with a caption reading that he died "a shaheed."

Obama administration officials will hold briefings this week and next for members of the U.S. Congress as the president makes his case for an offensive against Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants, congressional aides said on Sept. 9.

United States Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s meeting in Turkey on Sept. 8 took place at a critical time under unusual circumstances.

A popular theme for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and Justice and Development Party (AKP) circles generally is to criticize previous governments for their timidity and passivity in foreign policy and to compliment themselves for making Turkey an active player in the world.