Presidency of Hafez al-Assad

The reasons and implications of President Donald Trump's recent attack on Syria are being widely discussed. Yet what will be the impact on Turkey? How will the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Russia echo in Ankara? The answer seems to be short and crystal clear: From now on, Turkey needs to pursue a very delicate "policy of balance" between Washington and Moscow. 

U.S. President Donald Trump on April 5 accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government of going "beyond a red line" with a poison gas attack on civilians, but he declined to spell out how or whether his administration would respond.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on March 9 to voice opposition to what the Israeli leader charged were Iran's attempts to establish a permanent military foothold in Syria.

The crucial Syria summit, which will bring Syria's government and rebel fighters to a negotiating table for the first time after nearly six years of war, following 23 days of cease-fire, is set to start in Kazakhstan's capital on Jan. 23. 

According to an Algerian analyst Anwar Malik, Israel cooperates with Russia on its air strikes and military operations in Syria. To him the King Bashar Al-Assad are no more than tools used by the “bigger players” in the region.

In the last few days, Syria and Turkey have experienced dramatic developments on a massive scale. The prevalence of Syrian troops in Aleppo with the support of Russia and the execution of the Russian ambassador in Ankara are directly connected, marking both the beginning of a new period in Syrian-Turkish relations but also in the relationship between Ankara with Russia and NATO.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is in a dilemma: whether to restore friendship with the West (despite recent hostility) or strengthen ties with Russia and other members of BRICS (an association of five major emerging national economies - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).

BELGRADE - Gas and oil are always in the focus of the problems in the Middle East, writes Italian newspaper "Il Sole 24 Ore", pointing out that the cause of the war in Syria is exactly the powerful pipeline.

According to the daily, the war there began because the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad refused to accept passing of the pipeline from Qatar to Europe through Syria.

The White House on March 31 indicated Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should not be part of any transitional unity government, echoing views from regime opponents inside the war-shattered country.
 

The first Syrian cosmonaut who was sent to space now lives Istanbul as a refugee after fleeing the civil war in Syria with his family in 2012.