Podcasts about ypg

Irak'ın kuzeyindeki Irak Kürt Bölgesel Yönetimi'nin (IKBY) ABD şirketiyle bölgedeki doğal gaz yataklarına dair yaptığı 110 milyar dolar hacimli anlaşma birçok açıdan sorgulanıyor. Irak federal hükümeti anlaşmaya karşı mahkemeye başvurdu. Erbil'deki yönetim neden bu tartışmalı adımı attı? ABD ve Türkiye yaşananlara nasıl bakıyor? Anadolu Ajansı Amerika Haberleri Müdürü Can Hasasu ile konuştuk.

The Kurdistan Workers Party, the PKK, has announced the end to its more than forty-year fight against Turkey, a conflict that claimed more than 40,000 lives. But the declaration, called historic by Turkish officials, is being met by public skepticism with questions remaining over disarmament and its calls for democratic reforms. Upon hearing the news that the PKK was ending its war and disarming, Kurds danced in the streets of the predominantly Kurdish southeast of Turkey. The region bore the brunt of the brutal conflict, with the overwhelming majority of those killed being civilians, and millions more displaced.From armed struggle to political arena"It is a historic moment. This conflict has been going on for almost half a century," declared Aslı Aydıntaşbaş of the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think tank."And for them [the PKK] to say that the period of armed struggle is over and that they are going to transition to a major political struggle is very important."The PKK, designated as a terrorist organisation by the European Union and most of Turkey's Western allies, launched its armed struggle in 1984 for Kurdish rights and independence. At the time, Turkey was ruled by the military, which did not even acknowledge the existence of Kurds, referring to them as “Mountain Turks.”Nearly fifty years later, however, Turkey is a different place. The third-largest parliamentary party is the pro-Kurdish Dem Party. In its declaration ending its armed struggle and announcing its dissolution, the PKK stated that there is now space in Turkey to pursue its goals through political means.However, military realities are thought to be behind the PKK's decision to end its campaign. “From a technical and military point of view, the PKK lost,” observed Aydın Selcan, a former senior Turkish diplomat who served in the region.“For almost ten years, there have been no armed attacks by the PKK inside Turkey because they are no longer capable of doing so. And in the northern half of the Iraqi Kurdistan region, there is now almost no PKK presence,” added Selcan.Selcan also claims the PKK could be seeking to consolidate its military gains in Syria. “For the first time in history, the PKK's Syrian offshoot, the YPG, has begun administering a region. So it's important for the organisation to preserve that administration.“They've rebranded themselves as a political organisation.” Turkish forces have repeatedly launched military operations in Syria against the YPG. However, the Syrian Kurdish forces have reached a tentative agreement with Damascus's new rulers—whom Ankara supports.Kurdish leader Ocalan calls for PKK disarmament, paving way for peace Erdoğan's high-stakes gambleFor Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is trailing in opinion polls and facing growing protests over the arrest of his main political rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, on alleged corruption charges, this could be a golden opportunity. “This is a win for Erdoğan, no doubt,” claimed analyst Aydıntaşbaş.Along with favourable headlines, the PKK's peace announcement offers a solution to a major political headache for Erdoğan. The Turkish president wants to amend the constitution to remove term limits, allowing him to run again for the presidency.The pro-Kurdish Dem Party holds the parliamentary votes Erdoğan needs. “Yes, Erdoğan, of course, will be negotiating with Kurds for constitutional changes,” said Aydıntaşbaş.“Now we are entering a very transactional period in Turkish politics. Instead of repressing Kurds, it's going to be about negotiating with them. And it may persuade the pro-Kurdish faction—which forms the third-largest bloc in Turkish politics—to peel away from the opposition camp,” added Aydıntaşbaş.However, Aydıntaşbaş warns that Erdoğan will need to convince his voter base, which remains sceptical of any peace process with the PKK. According to a recent opinion poll, three out of four respondents opposed the peace process, with a majority of Erdoğan's AK Party supporters against it.For decades, the PKK has been portrayed in Turkey as a brutal terrorist organisation, and its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan, is routinely referred to by politicians and much of the media as “the baby killer.” Critics argue the government has failed to adequately prepare the public for peace.“In peace processes around the world, we see a strong emphasis on convincing society,” observed Sezin Öney, a political commentator at Turkey's PolitikYol news portal. “There are reconciliation processes, truth commissions, etc., all designed to gain public support. But in our case, it's like surgery without anaesthesia—an operation begun without any sedatives,” added Öney.Turkey looks for regional help in its battle against Kurdish rebels in IraqPolitical concessions?Public pressure on Erdoğan is expected to grow, as the PKK and Kurdish political leaders demand concessions to facilitate the peace and disarmament process.“In the next few months, the government is, first of all, expected to change the prison conditions of Öcalan,” explained Professor Mesut Yeğen of the Istanbul-based Reform Institute.“The second expectation is the release of those in poor health who are currently in jail. And for the disarmament process to proceed smoothly, there should be an amnesty or a reduction in sentences, allowing PKK convicts in Turkish prisons to be freed and ensuring that returning PKK militants are not imprisoned,” Yeğen added.Yeğen claimed that tens of thousands of political prisoners may need to be released, along with the reinstatement of Dem Party mayors who were removed from office under anti-terrorism legislation.Turkey's Saturday Mothers keep up vigil for lost relativesErdoğan has ruled out any concessions until the PKK disarms, but has said that “good things” will follow disarmament. Meanwhile, the main opposition CHP Party, while welcoming the peace initiative, insists that any democratic reforms directed at the Kurdish minority must be extended to wider society—starting with the release of İmamoğlu, Erdoğan's chief political rival.While the peace process is widely seen as a political victory for Erdoğan, it could yet become a liability for the president, who risks being caught between a sceptical voter base and an impatient Kurdish population demanding concessions.

Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan, dün yapılan kabine toplantısının ardından, "Terörsüz Türkiye' hedefimize engelleri aşarak, önyargıları kırarak, fitne ve nifak tuzaklarını bozarak emin adımlarla yürüyoruz." ifadelerini kullandı. Peki, süreç nasıl işleyecek? SETA Dış Politika Araştırmacısı Can Acun ile konuştuk.

Gündem tokat gibi değişiverdi, değil mi?!.. Kıbrıs'taki ‘büyük buluşma' ve yatırımlar, DEM İstanbul milletvekili Sırrı Süreyya Önder'in vefatı, enflasyonun düşüyor olması, ABD-Ukrayna anlaşması, YPG'nin Suriye stratejisi, doğalgaz ve petrol üretiminde rekor çalışmalar, turizmde rekor gelir ve yükselen kişi başı harcamalar, Hindistan-Pakistan çatışması, Çin-ABD çelişkisi… Özgür Özel'e bir meczubun saldırması bütün diğer çelişkileri gölgede bıraktı… Yok örgütlüymüş, yok değilmiş… Adamı CHP kendi tutup getirmiş, sansasyon olsun diye… Yok yok asıl AK Parti ayarlamış… Bunlar yetmezse, hadi beden dilini analiz edelim… Geçmiş

In this episode of the NAIOP San Francisco Bay Area Podcast, host Drew Hess, Principal at Layline, sits down with 2025 Chapter President Adam Voelker, Market Leader and Principal at Trammell Crow Company. From industrial to life sciences, Adam brings a purpose-driven approach to leadership—and in this conversation, he shares his personal and professional vision for the year ahead. You'll hear Adam's thoughts on collaboration across chapters, elevating NAIOP's Executive Development and YPG programs, and why building strong political action committees is essential to the future of Bay Area real estate. We also go beyond the boardroom—Adam opens up about his love for basketball, his go-to espresso habit, and how mentors shaped his leadership style.

The Trump administration has begun a substantial drawdown of its military footprint in Syria, shuttering three of its eight operational bases and reducing troop levels. This development follows the emergence of a post-Assad administration in Damascus. The move represents partial progress toward a long-held goal of President Trump to scale back U.S. involvement in Syria, underscoring his ongoing effort to redefine America's global role. While the prospect of withdrawal has circulated in Washington policy circles for years, its implementation remains a source of contention. It is also a sore point in Turkish-American relations, as it relates to the U.S. support for the YPG. Key questions over the potential withdrawal's strategic implications remain: How will such a recalibration impact the U.S.-Türkiye relations? How will regional actors respond to the reduced American footprint in Syria? What lies ahead for Syria in terms of its security and territorial unity? How might key players like Israel interpret and react to Washington's shifting posture? The SETA Foundation at Washington, D.C. is pleased to host a timely panel discussion to examine these critical questions. The discussion will explore how the Trump administration's recalibration may reshape U.S. policy toward Syria and its neighbors, impact bilateral relations with Türkiye, and influence the balance of power in the region. SpeakersMike Doran, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, Hudson Institute Rich Outzen, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Atlantic CouncilKadir Ustun, Executive Director, The SETA Foundation at Washington DC ModeratorKilic Kanat, Research Director, The SETA Foundation at Washington DC

İsrail Başbakanı Netanyahu, ABD Başkanı Donald Trump'la Washington'daki görüşmesinde Türkiye, İran, ticaret ve Gazze Şeridi'ndeki soykırım gelişmeleri hangi yanıtları aldı? AA Ortadoğu Haberleri Müdürü Turgut Alp Boyraz ile konuştuk.

Conflicted brings to an end our three part series with Ronnie Hamada, a Syrian Kurdish civilian, whose experience of the Civil War has been thrilling us over the past few episodes...  Thomas and Ronnie open with the impact of the Battle of Aleppo on the Kurdish province of Afrin, highlighting the rise of jihadist groups and the challenges faced by the Kurdish community. Ronnie also shares his harrowing experiences living under siege in Afrin, describing dire conditions, economic lockdowns and food shortages, and the desperate measures he and his family took to survive. Ronnie then recounts his journey fleeing to Turkey, as well as the broader humanitarian crisis in Syria and the role of NGOs in providing aid amidst the chaos.  In a final conversation which helps explain the complex dynamics of the Syrian Civil War in the country's north, the pair describe growing tensions between the YPG and the Assad regime, Turkey's military operations against Kurdish forces, and the aftermath of multiple Turkish operations in Syrian land, reflecting on what it has all meant got the future of Kurdish autonomy in Syria.  New Conflicted Season 5 episodes will be coming every two weeks, but if you want to have your Conflicted fix every single week, then you'll have to join our Conflicted Community. Subscribers will get bonus episodes every other week, and can also join our Conflicted Community chatroom, where you can interact with fellow dearest listeners, discuss episodes past and future, get exclusive messages from Thomas and Aimen, ask future Q&A questions and so much more. All the information you need to sign up to the Conflicted Community is on this link: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/  Conflicted is proudly made by Message Heard, a full-stack podcast production agency which uses its extensive expertise to make its own shows such as Conflicted, shows for commissioners such as the BBC, Spotify and Al Jazeera, and powerfully effective podcasts for other companies too. If you'd like to find out how we can help get your organisation's message heard, visit messageheard.com or drop an email to hello@messageheard.com! Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MHconflicted And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are very glad to bring you an interview with our friend Azad from the Antifascist Internationalist Front, currently fighting against Myanmar's Military Junta in Chin State, Myanmar. We at YPT have been supporting the struggle against the junta for a while, so we were really excited to talk to Azad about his unit, made up of internationalists who have traveled to the country to fight the coup government. Listen to the podcast to find out the situation in Chin State, the weapons and tactics of the resistance, and the women's revolution within the revolution. Our hosts also talk to Azad about his previous service with the YPG and what we can learn from the revolution in both Syria and Myanmar. As a bonus, definitely listen to learn why YPT won't be traveling to Turkey anytime soon!Host: John Chinaman, YoshikoGuests: AzadFind AIF on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aifmyanmar Find Azad on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azad_afa Support AIF on Paypal: @aifmyanmarSupport AIF on Venmo: @aifmyanmarSupport AIF on Cashapp: $aifmyanmarFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yellow_peril_tactical Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yptactual Subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/yellow_peril_tacticalMusic credit:Palm Tree Jam by Ronin SaediListen to more: https://viennaundergroundtraxx.bandcamp.com/album/cosmic-conscious https://open.spotify.com/artist/1BxaGq5S5A6Bck2DquttJM 

The Big Show w/ Rusic & Rose is On Demand! On hour 3, George and Matty are joined by Mike Bosch to discuss different misconceptions golf might have, the different steps for younger golfers to pursue a golfing career, and simple tips and tricks for amateur golfers!(20:36) Later on, Josh Fleming and Wade Waters join George and Matt to talk about the different costs for anyone interested in golf, the junior YPG programs, for beginners, advanced and pro youngsters! Plus... What the future holds for the 365 golf brand! The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

İsrail'in Suriye'de kendisine müttefik edinmek istediği YPG/SDG'nin de Dürzi toplumunun da yüzünü Şam'a dönmesi, Suriye'nin iç huzuru ve ulusal güvenliğinin tesisi bakımından büyük bir önem arz etmektedir.Yazan: Kutluhan Görücü Seslendiren: Halil İbrahim Ciğer

This week on Conflicted, Ronnie Hamada is back with Thomas to describe his experiences as a Kurdish civilian during the Syrian Civil War, as we continue our retrospective on that most complex of conflicts. And this week, after setting up some Kurdish history last time, Ronnie takes us through what it was like to live through the Arab Spring protests as a university student, where he saw his classmates attacked by Assad backed thugs, and as violence increased around him by the day. In a gripping conversation, Ronnie recounts some harrowing experiences, detailing a terrifying robbery at an internet cafe, the escalating violence in Aleppo, and the eventual decision to flee to Afrin. He shares the impact of the war on civilians, the rise of the PYD and YPG, and his family's efforts to navigate the chaos.  New Conflicted Season 5 episodes will be coming every two weeks, but if you want to have your Conflicted fix every single week, then you'll have to join our Conflicted Community. Subscribers will get bonus episodes every other week, and can also join our Conflicted Community chatroom, where you can interact with fellow dearest listeners, discuss episodes past and future, get exclusive messages from Thomas and Aimen, ask future Q&A questions and so much more. All the information you need to sign up to the Conflicted Community is on this link: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/  Conflicted is proudly made by Message Heard, a full-stack podcast production agency which uses its extensive expertise to make its own shows such as Conflicted, shows for commissioners such as the BBC, Spotify and Al Jazeera, and powerfully effective podcasts for other companies too. If you'd like to find out how we can help get your organisation's message heard, visit messageheard.com or drop an email to hello@messageheard.com! Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MHconflicted And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

US court halts Trump's bid to deport pro-Palestine activist "A US federal judge has temporarily blocked the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestine activist and permanent resident, following his weekend arrest. The judge ruled that Khalil could not be removed from the US until further notice and scheduled a court hearing for Wednesday. Khalil's detention in Louisiana sparked nationwide outrage, with mass protests in New York and Washington. Earlier, President Donald Trump praised the arrest, warning it was the first of many. Khalil, who holds a master's degree from Columbia's School of International Affairs, had not been charged with any crime related to his activism." Syria reaches integration deal with SDF, led by YPG terror group "Syria has sealed a deal with the SDF, led by the YPG, the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terrorist organisation, declaring a nationwide ceasefire while reaffirming the country's territorial unity. Announced by the Syrian Presidency, the agreement integrates northeastern Syria into state institutions and rejects partition. It also ensures political participation for all Syrians, recognises Kurdish citizenship rights, and mandates control over key assets like borders, oil and airports." Boat capsizes in DRC, killing dozens, including football players "A boat tragedy in southwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo has left 25 dead, many of them football players, after capsizing on the Kwa River. The team was returning from a match in Mushie when disaster struck, possibly due to poor visibility, according to the provincial spokesperson. At least 30 survived as deadly boat accidents remain common as overcrowded vessels navigate DRC's vast waterways." Elon Musk cites potential cyberattack as major outage hits X "The social media giant X, formerly known as Twitter, faced major disruptions, with thousands of users reporting outages. The company's owner Elon Musk said the platform was hit by a ""massive cyberattack,"" possibly from a coordinated group or even a nation-state. Complaints peaked at 40,000 users affected, according to reports. The outage, which lasted over an hour, hit hardest on the US coasts. In March 2023, similar issues plagued the platform, disrupting links, logins, and image loads." Global markets slump over Trump's trade policies, recession fears "Stock markets tumbled as tech shares led the charge, spooked by concerns over President Trump's trade policies potentially pushing the US into recession. Wall Street saw the Nasdaq drop over 3.6 percent, with Trump leaving the door open to a downturn. Meanwhile, global markets, including London and Paris, closed lower. Investors also reacted to weakening consumer confidence and rising trade uncertainties. Separately, China's deflationary pressure deepens as tariffs escalate."

Siyonist katil İsrail yönetimi, Beşar Esad rejiminin 18 Aralık 2024'te düşmesinin ardından kurulan yeni Suriye'nin istikrarının önündeki en büyük engel olmaya devam ediyor. Bir yandan Suriye topraklarındaki işgalini genişleten İsrail, diğer taraftan terör örgütü YPG ve Dürzilerle bağlantılarını güçlendiriyor. YPG'li militanlar ve Dürziler de Şam yönetiminin ülkedeki iradeyi tamamen kontrol altına almasına karşı mücadele ediyor. ABD merkezli Wall Street Journal gazetesinde önceki gün çıkan haberde “İsrail, Suriye'yi bölmeye çalışıyor” denilirken, İsrail merkezli Haaretz gazetesi de “PKK'nın silahsızlanması, İsrail'in çıkarlarına tehdit” başlığını atmıştı. Suriye'de iki gündür ayrıca Esad rejiminin kalıntıları da saldırılar düzenlemeye başladı. Tartus, Humus ve Lazkiye ve Hamada sokağa çıkma yasağı ilan edildi.

Emperyalizmin, Siyonizmin ve kuklalarının vaadi etnik arındırma ve mezhepçi boğazlaşmadır! Bizim çözümümüz Batı Asya'yı emperyalizmden ve Siyonizmden arındırmaktır!Emperyalizmle uyumlu “kravatlı tekfirci” Ahmet el-Şara (kod adı Muhammed Colani) ve HTŞ (Heyet Tahrir Şam) Şam'da iktidarı aldı ama halen yeni bir düzen kurabilmiş değil. Ahmet el-Şara, 29 Ocak'ta kendi örgütünden ve müttefiklerinden müteşekkil bir “zafer konferansı” toplayarak kendini Suriye Arap Cumhuriyeti'nin Cumhurbaşkanı ilan etti. Emperyalist hamileri tarafından kravatlı tekfirciye Suriye Arap Cumhuriyeti adını kullanması söylendi. Çünkü bu şekilde halen dünya çapında pek çok ülkenin terör listesinde yer alan HTŞ'nin tanınması daha kolay olacak. Yeni rejimin cumhuriyetle uzaktan yakından ilgisi yok! Anayasası olan her rejime cumhuriyet denmez. Anayasası olan krallıklar (meşrutiyet) da vardır. Suriye'de Anayasa dahi yok. Ve Colani gerçek anlamda yeni bir Anayasa vaadinde bile bulunmuyor. Colani, ne idüğü belirsiz bir “ulusal konferans”, kimleri içereceği belli olmayan ama kimlerin olmayacağı bilinen (Aleviler!) “kapsayıcı bir hükümet” ve çıkmaz ayın son perşembesine atılmış “nihai seçimler”den oluşan bir “geçiş süreci”nden bahsediyor.Emperyalist politikanın şeytan üçgeni: “Etnik arındırma, mezhepçi boğazlaşma, emperyalist himaye!”Kravatlı tekfircilerin geçiş sürecinin istikameti halen belli değil ama iç savaştan barışa, farklı ülkelerin nüfuz alanlarına bölünmüş Suriye'den birleşmiş bir ülkeye bir geçiş olmayacağı açık. Görünür ufukta, ülkenin, bölge çapında yaşanan çatışma ve savaşların neticesinde değişen yeni güç dengelerine bağlı olarak, yeni nüfuz alanlarına bölünmesi var. HTŞ'nin Şam'a yürüyüşü İsrail'in ABD'nin tam desteğiyle Gazze'den başlayan, Yemen, Lübnan ve İran'la devam eden savaşının gölgesinde gerçekleşti. Arka planda yine NATO'nun Rusya'ya karşı Ukrayna cephesinde yürüttüğü savaş vardı. Türkiye de Erdoğan'ın İran'la bölgesel rekabeti merkeze alan Sünni İslam dünyası üzerinde nüfuz mücadelesi veren, sömürgeci burjuvazinin yayılmacı emellerine yaslanan Rabiacı politikasıyla bulmacayı tamamlayan parça oldu. Suriye'nin yeni hâkim güçleri bu ülkeye ve bu ülkenin halklarına özgür, onurlu, barış içinde bir gelecek vadetmiyor.İsrail her daim halkların boğazlaşmasından yanadır!Etnik arındırma ve mezhepçi boğazlaşma emperyalizmin Suriye'yi kontrol etme yolu ve kendi aralarında nüfuz alanları olarak bölüştürmenin yöntemidir. Halkların boğazlaşmasından en başta da İsrail çıkar sağlayacaktır. Çünkü İsrail, Gazze'de Arap halkına karşı bir soykırım suçlusudur. HTŞ ve Colani istediği kadar işbirlikçilik yapsın Arapların bunu unutmayacağını en önce İsrail bilir. Bu yüzden Suriye'de izin vereceği tek devlet dişleri sökülmüş ve mezhepsel olarak bölünmüş bir Arap devletidir. Siyonizm, Türklerin ve Kürtlerin nezdinde Arap düşmanlığının kökleşmesini ister. Türkiye'de Arap düşmanı, ırkçı, göçmen düşmanı, faşist oluşumları bu yüzden destekler. Irak'ta ve Suriye'de peşmergenin ya da YPG'nin emperyalistlerin yanında Araplarla savaşmasından memnun olur ve bu iki halkın arasına kan denizi girmesini ister. İran'da Şah rejimi gelsin, gelmiyorsa İran'la Sünni Arap dünyası hiç barışmasın ister.Çözüm, bölgeyi emperyalizm ve Siyonizmden arındırmakta!Özetle, emperyalizmin ve Siyonizmin Suriye'ye biçtiği kader olan etnik arındırma ve mezhepçi boğazlaşma tüm Batı Asya'ya (Ortadoğu'ya) ve bu coğrafyanın halklarına biçmek istediği kaderdir. Tabii ki bu kader mutlak değildir. Bu kaderi işçi sınıfının Batı Asya'yı emperyalizmin üslerinden, askerlerinden ve tekellerinden arındıracak, Siyonist beladan kurtaracak, Batı Asya'nın tüm halklarının vatanlarında özgür ve eşit olarak yaşayacağı Batı Asya ve Kuzey Afrika (BAKA) Sosyalist Federasyonu programı değiştirebilir.

Suriye'de devrim, Gazze'de Hamas'ın soykırımcı İsrail'e karşı muhteşem zaferi, Trump'ın ABD Başkanı olarak göreve başlaması ve Ortadoğu ile ilgili açıklamalarının ardından bölgede bütün dengelerin yeniden şekilleneceği yepyeni bir durum var. Trump'ın Suriye topraklarından askerlerini çekmeye dönük niyetlerinin bir plana doğru geliştiği durumda YPG için de, Türkiye'nin terör sorunu için de iki ay öncesine nazaran çok daha farklı bir ufuk açılmış durumda.

İsrail basını, Amerikan askerlerinin Suriye'deki varlığıyla ilgili dikkat çeken bir iddiada bulundu. ABD Başkanı Donald Trump'ın Suriye'deki Amerikan askerlerini çekeceğini yazdı. İddiaya göre Trump, bu hamlesini İsrail yönetiminine de iletti. Yeni durum İsrail başbakanı Netanyahu'nun 4 Şubat'ta yapacağı Washnigton ziyaretinde ele alınacak. Olası kararın önemli yansımaları olabilir. Çekilme gerçekleşirse terör örgütü YPG'nin Suriye'nin kuzeyindeki durumu ne olur? Ankara için bu karar ne ifade ediyor? Suriye'de yeni bir güç dengesi oluşur mu? Kayıttayız'da bu sorulara yanıt arandı..

Türkiye için, “tanımlanmış düşmanlıklar”, “tanımlanmış tehditler” var. İçeriden vuranlar, dışarıdan tehdit edenler var. Bunlara yönelik milli güvenlik tedbirleri ve mücadele türleri var. Mesela FETÖ, PKK, YPG birer iç tehdittir. Aynı zamanda birer dış tehdittir. Bazıları ülkeyi küçültmeye, bazıları Türkiye'yi ABD ve Avrupa elinde bir oyuncağa, rehineye dönüştürmeyi amaçlamaktadır.

With Donald Trump returning to the White House on Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sees a chance to rekindle what he calls his "close working relationship" with the incoming US leader. But a Trump presidency could bring risks as well as opportunities for Erdogan. Erdogan was quick to congratulate Trump on his election victory, making clear his desire to work with him again."Donald Trump is a man who acts with his instincts, and Erdogan is too," explains Huseyin Bagci, a professor of international relations with Ankara's Middle East Technical University. "They are not intellectuals as we used to have, big political leaders after World War II. They are tradespeople. They are very pragmatic ones, and they are political animals. In this sense, they like transactional policies, not value-based policies."Syria a key focusErdogan's top priority is expected to be securing the withdrawal of US forces from Syria, where they support the Kurdish militia YPG in the fight against the Islamic State.Ankara views the YPG as a terrorist group linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged an insurgency in Turkey for decades.During his first presidency, Trump promised to pull US forces out of Syria, though this move faced strong resistance from American officials.Sezin Oney, a commentator with Turkey's independent Politikyol news portal, said new challenges in Syria make an early withdrawal unlikely."Not to have the ISIS resurgence again or this HTS presenting a threat to the United States, the Trump administration would be interested in protecting the YPG and the Kurds, their alliance with the Kurds," said Oney."We already have the (US) vice president, JD Vance, pointing out the ISIS resurgence."Turkey steps up military action against Kurds in Syria as power shiftsIsrael and IranThe ceasefire between Hamas and Israel could ease another potential point of tension between Erdogan and Trump, as Erdogan has been a strong supporter of Hamas.Meanwhile, both Ankara and Washington share concerns over Iran's regional influence, which could encourage cooperation between the two leaders."Trump administration is coming in with a desire to stabilise relations with Turkey," said Asli Aydintasbas, an analyst with the Brookings Institution."We are likely to see more and more of a personal rapport, personal relationship, which had been missing during the Biden administration," she added. "President Erdogan and President Trump will get along famously. But it does not mean Turkey gets all of its policy options."Success of rebel groups in Syria advances Turkish agendaFighter jets and UkraineErdogan is also hoping the Trump administration will lift a Congressional embargo on advanced fighter jet sales. Experts suggest Turkey could play a key role in any Trump-led efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in the Ukraine war, given Erdogan's ties with both Russia and Ukraine."If Trump is pushing for a ceasefire in Ukraine between Russia and Ukraine, in this case Turkey could be very helpful as a potential mediator," said Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, head of the German Marshall Fund's Ankara office.But Unluhisarcikli warned of potential challenges."What happens in Syria could be a test for the US-Turkey relationship very early on. Turkey is actually preparing for a new intervention in northeast Syria against what Turkey sees as a terrorist organisation, and what the United States sees as a partner on the ground."Economic risksTrump's previous presidency saw tensions with Erdogan peak after Trump threatened to destroy Turkey's economy over its plans to attack US-backed Syrian Kurdish forces. This move triggered a sharp drop in the Turkish lira.With Turkey's economy now weaker than before, analysts say Erdogan will need to proceed cautiously in his dealings with the new Trump administration.

Bu hafta gündemde tarihi bir süreç var. Suriye ve Kürt meselesine odaklanarak, barışın bir tercih mi yoksa kaçınılmaz bir zorunluluk mu olduğunu tartışıyoruz. 10 yıl önceki çözüm sürecinden bugüne, Kuzey Doğu Suriye'nin etkisini, YPG'nin rolünü ve Türkiye'nin bu süreçteki seçeneklerini masaya yatırıyoruz. Hazırsanız başlayalım!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

*) US plans '$8B arms deal' with Israel amid Gaza genocide The Biden administration has informally notified the US Congress of a proposed 8 billion dollars arms deal with Israel that includes munitions for fighter jets and attack helicopters alongside artillery shells, According to Axios, the US military backing to Israel has totalled more than 200 billion dollars since the creation of the country on the historic Palestinian lands. Washington provides 3.8 billion dollars annually to Israel which has killed over 45,000 Palestinians since October 2023. *) US says no plans for army base in Ayn al Arab as Syria FM tours region The US military has denied plans to build a new base in Syria's Ayn al Arab near the Turkish border. Videos showing trucks carrying construction materials sparked the rumours, but officials dismissed them. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said, "There are no plans to build a US base in Kobani." Türkiye has repeatedly criticised US cooperation with the YPG, an extension of the PKK terror group. *) Mike Johnson re-elected as US House speaker Republican Mike Johnson was re-elected US House Speaker on the first ballot in a 218-215 vote. The newly-elected 119th US Congress began, with Republicans in full control of both chambers for the first time since 2019. Johnson was unanimously nominated by his party to retain the gavel shortly after the November 5 elections. *) German airports hit by IT outage, long queues at border control A nationwide IT outage has disrupted border control systems at German airports, causing long queues for passengers from outside the Schengen zone. Federal police manually processed travellers, with no immediate explanation for the issue. Airports like Frankfurt and Berlin reported significant delays for non-Schengen arrivals. *) Chinese BYD tops Tesla in fourth quarter, delivers record EV vehicles Chinese automaker BYD outpaced Tesla in the fourth quarter, delivering about 600,000 EVs compared to Tesla which delivered less than 495,000. For 2024, BYD delivered 1.76 million EVs, narrowly trailing Tesla's 1.79 million. Both companies reported record-breaking sales for the year.

Turkish-backed forces have launched a new offensive against Kurdish fighters in Syria following the collapse of the Assad regime. The Syrian National Army, supported by Turkish air power, is pushing against the US-supported People's Defense Units (YPG), which Ankara claims is linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, the PKK, which has been fighting Turkey for decades. The YPG controls a large swathe of Syria bordering Turkey, which Ankara says poses a security threat.Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan says Turkey is determined to prevent the YPG and its affiliate the PKK from exploiting a power vacuum following the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.As Erdogan celebrates Turkish role in ousting Assad, uncertainty lies ahead"We are in communication with the groups to make sure that terrorist organisations, especially Daesh [Islamic State] and the PKK, are not taking advantage of the situation," he said. "Turkey is committed to continuing the fight against terrorism. All minorities – non-Muslims, Christians, non-Arabs, Kurds – should be treated equally."Opportunity for AnkaraEver since the YPG took over control of the Syrian territory at the beginning of the Syrian civil war, Ankara has been seeking to remove it. With the ousting of the Assad regime and the withdrawal of its Iranian and Russian backers, which had in the past blocked Turkish military interventions, analysts say Ankara now sees an opportunity to finally remove the YPG threat."The current situation creates an opportunity for its [Turkey's] fight against PKK and YPG because there is now no Russia, there is no Iran," explains Bilgehan Alagoz, a professor of international relations at Istanbul's Marmara University."Turkey was facing the Russian forces, the Iranian forces, and Assad's regime forces while it was combatting the PKK and YPG," she added. "We can name it as an opportunity for its fight against PKK and YPG."Success of rebel groups in Syria advances Turkish agendaHowever, the YPG is still being supported by a small US military force, as part of the war against the Islamic State (IS). The YPG is also detaining thousands of IS militants.'The Euphrates is a line'With the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army now approaching the Euphrates River, analysts say further eastward advances could put Ankara on a collision course with both Washington, and Syria's new rulers – Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS. "The Euphrates now is like a line perhaps for the US military," explains Aydin Selcen, a former senior Turkish diplomat who served in the region and is now a foreign policy analyst for Turkey's independent Medyascope news outlet."If that [military advance] goes on as such, it could bring Turkey indirectly head to head with the US, with even perhaps HTS, and it could put Ankara in a delicate diplomatic position again," warned Selcen.Tensions with IsraelThe Israeli military's advance into Syria is adding to Ankara's concerns over the threat posed by the PYG and its political wing, the Democratic Union Party (PYD). Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar last month described the Kurds as a "natural ally" of Israel, a comment that came amid growing Israeli-Turkish tensions.Turkey seeks Gaza ceasefire role despite US criticism over Hamas ties"Israel is now carving out a corridor [in Syria] between the PKK/PYD-controlled territories, and its own territories," explained Hasan Unal, a professor of international relations at Ankara's Baskent University."That suggests that this is what they [Israel] are trying to do – [to create] a Kurdish puppet state east of the Euphrates. And this is something that is likely to create lots of problems with Turkey," he added.With Israel's presence in Syria, Ankara is likely to step up pressure on the YPG, and on the incoming Trump administration to end US military presence in Syria.

İki ABD senatörü, Türkiye SDG ile ateşkes yapmazsa, yaptırım tasarısı sunacaklarını X üzerinden duyurdular. SDG dedikleri YPG yani PKK. Yıllardır destekledikleri terör örgütleri. Senatörlerin dedikleri şu: “Türkiye bu şartları derhal kabul etmezse 2019'da ortaklaşa sunduğumuz tasarıya benzer iki partili yaptırım yasasını bu hafta sunmayı planlıyoruz.”

Günel Cantak'ın hazırlayıp sunduğu Naçizane'nin bu haftaki konuğu, güvenlik politikaları uzmanı Burak Yıldırım oldu. Suriye'de gelişen olayların bölge ve Türkiye'ye etkilerinin konuşulduğu programda Burak Yıldırım, HTŞ'nin terör örgütü olup olmadığının tartışılmaya açılamayacağını söylerken, HTŞ'nin şu anda akıllıca ve planlı bir strateji uyguladığının da altını çizdi. Yıldırım, YPG'nin Suriye'de kontrol ettiği alanların önemli bir kısmından kısa vadede çıkacağını iddia ederken, ülkede 3 ayrı otonom bölgenin ortaya çıkabileceğini söyledi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GOOG EVENING: The show begins in Ukraine, looking for a negotiation  it cannot likely survive... 1940 UKRAINE CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR FIRST HOUR9-915#UKRAINE: Concessions on the table? Anatol Lieven, Quincy Institute915-930#ROMANIA: Unstable, fearful. Anatol Lieven, Quincy Institute930-945EU: FRANCE: Limited growth. #SCALAREPORT: Chris Riegel CEO, Scala.com @Stratacache. 945-1000SYRIA: Search for chemical weapons not yet destroyed. Andrea Stricker, FDD SECOND HOUR10-1015SYRIA: : Gunplay Syrian National Army vs YPG. Jonathan Spyer: 1. https://www.wsj.com/opinion/assad-falls-thanks-to-a-weak-tehran-iran-proxy-network-paper-tigers-more-defeats-will-follow-36d1d3fe 2. https://thespectator.com/topic/bashar-al-assad-fell-syria/ 1015-1030IRAN: Maximum pressure restart. Richard Goldberg: 1. https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2024/12/09/how-to-bring-back-maximum-pressure-on-iran/ 2. https://nypost.com/2024/11/12/opinion/stefanik-will-bring-trumps-america-first-agenda-to-the-un/ 1030-1045 #PA: 89 year-old Mahmoud stalls. Yoni Ben Menachem: 1. https://arabexpert.co.il/en/2024/12/02/14497/ 2. https://arabexpert.co.il/en/2024/11/27/14455/ 1045-1100 LEBANON: Litani River. Maj. Gen. (Res.) Gilad Ach: 1. https://www.jns.org/eruption-of-a-dam-an-idf-reservist-fights-hezbollah-in-lebanon/ 2. https://www.jns.org/watch-idf-troops-in-gaza-rescue-wounded-under-heavy-hamas-fire/ THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 SYRIA: What does Turkiye want? Cliff May, FDD 1115-1130 #MRMARKET: DOGE can work. Veronique DeRugy, Mercatus Center 1130-1145 POTUS: Legacy of the 46th. Conrad Black, National Post. 1145-1200 CENTRAL ASIA: Where the uranium ore is found. Svanta Cornel, American Foreign Policy Council.  FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 1/;2:  #HOTEL MARS: Beersheet 1 and Beersheet 2 on the moon. : Amir Notea, David Livingston. 1215-1230 1/;2:  #HOTEL MARS: Beersheet 1 and Beersheet 2 on the moon. : Amir Notea, David Livingston. 1230-1245 RUSSIA: Rouble still sinking. Michael Bernstam, Hoover Institution 1245-100 am LATIN AMERIXA: MERCOSUR reawakens. Alllison Fedirka, @GPFutures

SYRIA: : Gunplay Syrian National Army vs YPG. Jonathan Spyer: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/assad-falls-thanks-to-a-weak-tehran-iran-proxy-network-paper-tigers-more-defeats-will-follow-36d1d3fe https://thespectator.com/topic/bashar-al-assad-fell-syria/ 1925 SYRIA

Suriye'de Esad sonrası halkın iradesine dayanan istikrarlı bir yönetim oluşması zaman alacak. Suriyeli farklı gruplar arasında milli bir uzlaşma sağlanmasının önünde hem iç hem de dış engeller var. Bu engellerin aşılması veya yönetilmesi hem pragmatik hem de soğukkanlı bir siyasi irade gerektiriyor. Muhalefetin şu ana kadar verdiği pozitif mesajlar yanında kargaşa görüntüsünden uzak durması avantaj teşkil ediyor. Ancak gerek YPG ve Deaş gibi grupların varlığı gerekse İsrail'in askeri müdahaleleri ülkenin toprak bütünlüğü ve milli egemenliğinin tesis edilmesinin kolay olmayacağını gösteriyor. Dahası, şimdilik yenilmiş ve sahadan çekilmiş görünen İran ve Rusya'nın izleyeceği politikalar bu resmi daha da karmaşık hale getirebilir.

In episode 269 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with Antoine Brimbal. Antoine Brimbal is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Modern Insurgent, a grass-roots independent media organisation which specialises solely on insurgencies, rebellions and political movements from around the globe. We first checked in with Antoine in JCIP #164 when he was still a puppy at 18 years old but still the owner of his own journalism organisation. We discussed the origins of the platform, a terrorist attack he witnessed outside his window which he filmed and was interviewed by media outlets about and his French-Serbian upbringing and how its shaped him. He is now 20 years old and has taken TMI to new heights, with their own podcast, documentaries from the frontline of some very dangerous conflicts and has interviewed some very dangerous men. In this episode we discuss that continued growth and a deep dive into a few of those documentaries. This includes one which covered the 12th July protests in Northern Ireland in 2023 and the ‘Orange Order', embedding with a volunteer unit in the Yekîneyên Parastina Gel or YPG, a Kurdish militia based in Syria who have been a bulwark against ISIS or Daesh. We also discussed some recently published films including one covering a desert blues festival in Morocco and embedding with an autonomous people's army in Mexico called the Zappatistas who took on the cartels and the Mexican government and won! Antoine has also produced some films for another news organisation called Atlas News, including one in Transnistria, a separatist region in Moldova. In addition, Antoine and his crew were the first international journalists to interview a representative of Hezbollah, the heavily armed and powerful militia group currently in conflict with Israel off the back of the October 7th invasion and massacre by Hamas. For Antoine's continued mental health journey, we dive into the personal impact of the filming with Hezbollah, interviewing very dangerous men and a couple of life-and-death situations he put himself in. As always, #itsokaytovent You can watch 'Burning Cedars: Lebanon's Perpetual Crisis', which contained the interview with the Hezbollah commander here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kHPPdryb9g You can watch 'Desert Blues: Saharan Songs of Resistance' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZraT3AYbmQ&pp=ygUYZGVzZXJ0IGJsdWVzIGRvY3VtZW50YXJ5 Find out more about The Modern Insurgent here: www.moderninsurgent.org/ You can follow The Modern Insurgent on social media below: Instagram: www.instagram.com/moderninsurgent/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJo0ImLC7qCY6pfr1IpTqQ You can listen to Part 1 of Antoine's journey here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-164-antoine-brimbal Support Us: Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

HTŞ'nin Suriye'de yönetimi ele geçirmesinin ardından ülkenin siyasi haritası yeniden şekilleniyor. Ülkedeki en önemli aktörlerden biri de Kürtler. Türkiye destekli Suriye Milli Ordusu'nun (SMO), YPG'nin kontrolü altındaki Menbiç'e girdiği, ancak hala çatışmaların sürdüğü belirtiliyor. Menbiç'in düşmesi Ankara'nın başarı hanesine yazılacak bir durum. Suriye'ye hakim olan karmaşık güç dengelerini gazeteci Murat Sabuncu ve Cosmo'nun Kürtçe yayınından Celil Kaya ile konuştuk. Mikrofonda Elmas Topcu ve Gökçe Göksu var. Von Gökce Göksu.

Suriye'de 27 Kasım'dan bu yana süren çatışmalarda, son olarak cihatçı grupların Hama'ya girdiği belirtildi. Hama neden önemli ve bizi kentte neler bekliyor? Heyet Tahrir Şam (HTŞ) liderliğindeki cihatçıların saldırılarına, Türkiye destekli Suriye Milli Ordusu (SMO) da Suriye Demokratik Güçleri (SDG) ve Halk Koruma Birlikleri'ni (YPG) hedef alan operasyonlarla katılıyor. Türkiye, Suriye konusunda nasıl bir politika izliyor? Suriye'de yaşanan son gelişmeleri, Fehim Taştekin ve Mühdan Sağlam canlı yayında yorumladı.

The capture of Syria's major cities by rebel groups Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Syrian National Army, fighting against the forces of President Bashar al-Assad, offers Turkey the opportunity to achieve its strategic goals in the country. The lightning offensive of Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army, which has seen the rebels capture several major Syrian cities in less than two weeks, gives Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan leverage over his Syrian counterpart President Bashar al-Assad."Turkey can easily stop both [rebel] entities and start a process. Turkey does have this strength, and Assad is well aware of it," said Murat Aslan of the SETA Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research, a Turkish pro-government think tank. Until now, Assad has rejected Erdogan's overtures for dialogue to end the civil war peacefully. "The Turkish intention politically is not to escalate in Syria [but to] start a political, diplomatic engagement with the Assad regime, and come to the terms of a normal state, and that all Syrians safely return to their homes," Aslan noted.Syrian rebels surround Hama 'from three sides', monitor saysSyrian refugees an issueErdogan is seeking to return many of the estimated 4 million Syrian refugees living in Turkey, amid growing public unease over their presence in the country."According to the opinion polls here, yes, the Syrian refugees [are] an issue. For any government, it would be a wonderful win to see these Syrians going back to Syria of their own will," explained Aydin Selcen, a former senior Turkish diplomat who served in the region and is now a foreign policy analyst for Turkey's Medyascope news outlet.However, Moscow has a lot to lose in Syria, as a key military backer of Assad, who in turn has granted Russia use of a key Syrian naval base. "For Moscow, it's of crucial importance that the personality of Assad remains in power," said Zaur Gasimov, a professor of history and a Russia specialist at the University of Bonn.Syria rebel leader says goal is to overthrow AssadGasimov warns that Turkey could be facing another humanitarian crisis. "Russia would definitely use the military force of its aerospace forces, that can cause a huge number of casualties among civilians. Which means a new wave of migrants towards Turkish eastern Anatolia."With more than a million Syrian refugees camped just across the Turkish border in the rebel-controlled Syrian Idlib province, analysts warn a new exodus into Turkey is a red line for Ankara."If they refresh their attacks on the captured areas by indiscriminate targeting... well [we can] expect further escalations in the region," warned Aslan of the pro-government SETA think tank. "And for sure there is a line that Turkey will not remain as it is, and if there is a development directly threatening the interests or security of Turkey, then Turkey will intervene."Pushing back the YPGWith the Syrian rebel offensive also making territorial gains against the US-backed Kurdish militant group, the YPG, Ankara is poised to secure another strategic goal in Syria. Ankara accuses the YPG of having ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is fighting the Turkish state.France joins Germany, US and Britain in call for de-escalation in Syria"Without putting up a fight, and without getting directly involved, they [Ankara] have achieved one of their goals – for YPG to pull back from the Turkish frontier towards the south," explained Selcen. "I think Ankara now is closer to that goal."With Syrian rebel successes appearing to advance Ankara's goals in Syria, some analysts are urging caution, given the rebels' links to radical Islamist groups. "The crashing down of the Assad regime is not in the interest of Turkey, because there will be chaos," warned international relations professor Huseyin Bagci, of Ankara's Middle East Technical University."Who is going to rule? What type of [governing] structure are we going to have?" he asked. "They are radicals, and another Daesh-style territory would not be in the interest of Turkey – in Turkish prisons, there are thousands of Daesh people."

Suriye'de Esed rejimi karşıtı silahlı gruplar, Halep ve İdlib illerinin ardından, Beşşar Esed rejimi güçlerinin kontrolündeki Hama iline yaklaştı. Öte yandan, Suriye Milli Ordusu (SMO), terör örgütü PKK/YPG'ye karşı başlattığı Özgürlük Şafağı Operasyonu'nda Tel Rıfat ilçe merkezinin tamamına hakim olarak bölgeye girdi. Türkiye Araştırmaları Vakfı (TAV) Araştırmacısı Ahmet Arda Şensoy ile Suriye sahasında yaşanan gelişmeleri konuştuk.

With Donald Trump on course to begin his second term as US president, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is eyeing renewed opportunities for collaboration – hoping to rekindle the close relationship the two shared during Trump's first presidency. Erdogan, who congratulated Trump as a "friend" on social media, sees this as a chance to reshape US-Turkey relations.During Biden's presidency, engagement was largely limited to foreign ministers – marking a stark contrast to the “strong leader-to-leader relationship” Erdogan and Trump had enjoyed, says analyst Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, of the German Marshall Fund in Ankara.Trump and President Erdogan met face to face about nine times, compared to only two "brief encounters" with Biden, he adds.ChemistryErdogan often speaks warmly of his dealings with Washington during Trump's first term in office."The chemistry is the same. Two charismatic leaders, two leaders who are unpredictable," notes Turkish presidential adviser Mesut Casin, a professor of international relations at Istanbul's Yeditepe University.He believes their personal rapport could set the stage for greater bilateral and regional cooperation, including efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.Erdogan has long sought to play a role in ending the Russia-Ukraine war, given his close ties with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and, more controversially, with Vladimir Putin – a relationship that drew criticism and suspicion from some of Turkey's NATO partners."Trump will push for negotiations in the Russia-Ukraine war. And I think that's something that Turkey has always preferred," predicts Asli Aydintasbas a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington.Turkey eyes US presidential race that stands to shake up mutual tiesYPG policyErdogan will also look to Trump for changes in US policy toward the YPG, a Syrian Kurdish militia that Ankara views as linked to the PKK, a group fighting the Turkish state.The YPG's alliance with Washington against the Islamic State has strained US-Turkey relations, with Biden resisting Erdogan's calls to end support for the group.Former Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen predicts Erdogan will hope Trump might be open to a deal."Erdogan thinks that, like himself, Trump too is a pragmatic leader. So leaving aside principles or other such in brackets, the two sides can reach an agreement by giving and taking something between the two," says Selcen.UnpredictabilityWhile Trump has often spoken positively about Erdogan, he nonetheless remains unpredictable.“Can you rely on him?” asks Murat Aslan of SETA, a Turkish pro-government thinktank.Tensions between Turkey and Israel could also complicate relations.Erdogan has expressed hope that Trump will succeed where Biden failed in ending Israel's war on Hamas and Hezbollah, but with Trump's strong support for Israel and Erdogan's backing of Hamas, a clash could be looming."What happens if there is an escalation in the Middle East with the polarisation of Israel and Turkey, as it currently is, and the attitude of Trump, it's very clear that the Trump administration will threaten Turkey," says Aslan.With conflicts raging across the region, Erdogan views a new Trump presidency as an opportunity for Turkey and the region.But given the leaders' unpredictability, that opportunity doesn't come without risks.

Etnik ayrılıkçı terör başta olmak üzere, aşırı sol ve bir kült olan FETÖ gibi yapılar, her biri kendi içerisinde farklı yol ve metotlarla Türkiye'nin mücadele ettiği terör örgütleridir. Son dönemde DAEŞ ve ona karşı meşru bir aktör olarak silahlandırılan YPG gibi unsurlar da dikkate alındığında, Türkiye'nin bu alandaki mücadelesinin ne denli çetin olduğu anlaşılacaktır.

Sarkis Kassargian'a göre Suriye, yönünü Arap ülkelerine dönmek istiyor. Türk basınında yer alan Şam-YPG görüşmelerinin gerçeği yansıtmadığını aktaran Kassargian, diğer yandan Golan Tepeleri hattında İsrail'in ilerlediği iddialarının da doğru olmadığını belirtti.

Connor reads replies to his "Bacon is overrated" take. Sipple big times us. And we ask how many rushing YPG the Huskers will have this year.

Make sure to follow this week's guest Mark Sleboda on X at @MarkSleboda1 Find me and the show on social media @DrWilmerLeon on X (Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube Facebook page is www.facebook.com/Drwilmerleonctd   Announcer (00:06): Connecting the dots with Dr. Wilmer Leon, where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge. Dr Leon (00:14): Welcome to the Connecting the Dots podcast with Dr. Wilmer Leon. I am Wilmer Leon. Here's the point. We have a tendency to view current events as though they occur in a vacuum, failing to see the broader historical context in which events take place. During each episode of this program, my guests and I have probing, provocative, and in-depth discussions that connect the dots between current events and the broader historic context in which they occur. This enables you to better understand and analyze the events that impact the global village in which we live on today's episode. The issue before us is the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and why does the United States keep throwing good taxpayer dollars after bad. To discuss this, we are joined by my guest Mark Sloboda. He's a Moscow based international relations and security analyst. Mark, as always, welcome back Mark Sleboda (01:18): Dr. Leon. Thanks for having me. It's always an honor and a pleasure to be on connecting the dots. Dr Leon (01:23): So it's been reported that an attack on a convoy of Ukrainian military equipment in the esque people's Republic was carried out with the use of short range ballistic missiles. And it also seems as though with all of this hand wringing in the US Congress about funding for Ukraine, all the US and NATO is doing, or seems to be doing, is sending more targets for Russia to destroy your thoughts, mark. Mark Sleboda (01:52): Yeah, there's some rather dramatic developments really under-reported in the Western press that have very large implications going forward for the conflict in Ukraine. The current situation on the ground, I think the Western mainstream media has finally their propaganda narrative bubble has finally burst. Look, in a span of how short a period of time we have gone from Ukraine is winning to (02:34) Stalemate, it's a stalemate on the battlefield to, oh my God, we're losing to Nigeria with snow. I mean, that's the rather dramatic change in the propaganda narrative, and I think we can see it reflected in the political elite as well with the panic and desperation that is starting to sit in and become rather obvious among European leaders who really have the most to lose from this conflict, rather other than the Kiev regime in Ukraine itself. And this all occurs, these latest incidents in the final weeks of and the aftermath of the Russian breakthrough of the Kiev regime's most heavily fortified fortress city, these extensive defenses and fortifications trenches, concrete bunkers, pill boxes, networks of tunnels, layers of minefields, you name it, Inca, which is really quite close to Dan City, and a western journalist a couple of years ago already referred to it rather poetically if quite awfully as a knife pointed at the heart of Dansk. (04:10) They meant that in a good way. Another way, of course, looking at it was a Jack boot pressed to the neck of the people of Donbass because it is from aca and the settlements shielded behind it that the Ki regime forces brutally shelled the people of Dansk for the last decade pretty much regularly. They didn't shell military facilities, they shelled civilian areas with artillery, with cluster munitions, with pedal mines. And this was to punish the people of done bus for choosing wrong, for not accepting the overthrow of the government by the Westback Maan butch back in 2014, and with the intention with driving Russian ethnic people who did not accept the new Ukraine into Russia. That was the intention and one of the primary reasons for the Russian intervention in the Ukrainian civil conflict, not the only one. There were security concerns as well, but this was loudly voiced as well. (05:22) And when the Russians broke through it aga, they did it rather dramatically towards the end. It ended up much shorter than say the siege of Bach Mu, despite the defenses in a DKA being considerably stronger, and this is because of a sea change on the battlefield. The KI regime's initial a integrated Soviet legacy air defense network, the backbone of which was the formidable S 300 systems had been largely deteriorated at this point already a few months ago. And on top of what hadn't been destroyed, they were absolutely out of interceptor missiles for it, and there were none left in countries that are now part of the west former Eastern Bloc countries. Their supplies were all exhausted. So there was an attempt to put together a hodgepodge piece meal air defense system not properly integrated with using Western systems, but that has also been attributed away over the last few months. (06:35) Russia launched an extensive campaign over the winter, and that was a primary target of their missile and drone campaign. So in afca, Russia fully unleashed the fab guided glide bombs on these defenses. And these are old dumb munitions with smart glide kits that turn them into precision weapons being able to fire from air at a distance of tens of kilometers. And because these are bombs, not artillery shells, they have a considerably bigger payload. They come in 500, 1000 and 1500 kilogram capacities and they just annihilate. I mean, if the Ki regime turns, say what they did pretty much to every building in the city, turning it into a mini fortress that has to be individually stormed one fab bomb, and it's gone. And particularly at the larger end, the 1500, they have an incredibly demoralizing effect on anyone within the radius of experiencing the explosion, the concussion and the like. (07:57) And in the closing days of a dka, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, they dropped over 500 of these, oh my God, on the fortresses in just the last few days, right? So that's why they collapsed so quickly and dramatically at the end and why there was such a route. And they're able to do this now because they can fly with a considerable degree of impunity over the battlefield because first, the Soviet legacy and now the Western Air Defense system sent us a replacement, have largely been destroyed. And immediately in the aftermath of Dfca, the Russian forces far from being exhausted, as many Western military analysts drinking their own propaganda Kool-Aid tried to claim claiming high casualties as they always do without evidence to back it up other than the say so of the regime in Kiev. Russian forces were not exhausted because they had not suffered any considerable attrition because they had been standing off and dropping an extremely large bombs from Sue, 30 fours from fighter bombers on ev dca, which is what did at least at the end the majority of their work for them once they were already ensconced in the outskirts of the city. (09:24) So they continued on fallback positions in the next line of villages that Kiev regime forces had retreated to and were hastily trying to dig themselves in because they had not built proper defenses. And for instance, Laska and Severna lasted two or three days, and as Russia moved on the second line of villages even further, and we faced a real breakthrough in the Kiev regime defensive lines at this point, the Kiev regime became desperate to try to at least slow down. We're not even talking stop, but to slow down the Russian advance to give themselves more time to hastily dig as the Western headlines have now been talking about what the Kiv regime needs to do to dig new trenches, to dig new fortifications. So they moved a large number of what air defense systems they had left elsewhere in the country into an area far too close to the battlefield. (10:32) And Russia at this point, not only of course, enjoys air superiority over the contact line, but they also enjoy drone superiority. And Russia has put a rather larger number of military satellites into the orbit in the last year, last few months that have started to come online. So they were able to track these air defense systems fairly well, and it's more than just three patriot launchers that have been destroyed. Also, one of the remaining older S 300 air defense systems, several NASS air defense systems supplied by the US and Norway, and also a number of books and smaller systems. By my count at least 11 air defense systems have been destroyed in the last two weeks over the area immediately to the west of F dca. And this is adding to the butcher's bill. Previously, the Kev regime has adopted a new tactic in several areas. (11:50) We saw it over the sea of, we saw it also in Belgo where that Ill 76 transport plane shut down the KI regime shut down its own plane full of prisoners of war A couple of months ago, if you remember forced to admit it, they've been sending in an attempt to try to stop the Russian dominance of the skies. They've tried to use essentially not mobile air defense systems in a mobile capacity to set up ambushes for Russian planes to instill a degree of caution and restraint. But that has proven very costly for them because they've also lost air defense systems in that way as well, because of course, Russia was actively hunting them down and despite their claims to have shut down large numbers of Russian aircraft, there is zero evidence providing this zero. I mean, and there have been plenty of evidence, for instance, of the Kev regime's own aircraft, remaining aircraft being shot down when they're shot down. (13:06) There is video footage, there is air wreckage and the like. So really questionable claims they may have sacrificed other than this, of course, the POW plane, which everyone noticed, but that was an undefended transport plane flying in what it assumed a mission of peace bringing POWs for an exchange. So they've lost a huge degree of whatever hodgepodge air defense they had left. Now, Forbes speaking just of the events in F dca, not of the rest of it, says that just in those engagements that the Kev regime lost 13% of its air defense capacity speaking specifically of the Patriot systems provided to it. And that's on paper because they're not acknowledging earlier patriot systems that have been shot down. So I would suggest that they have at this point lost far more. They probably have a number of patriot launchers in the single digits left in Kiev, for instance, possibly in Odessa. (14:22) But the implications of this going forward is that Russian use of air superiority and even now close air support over the contact line is going to dramatically increase because there is no air defense left to deal with them, which means the pace of Russian advances are going to increase. And this is when even Western analysts and Ukrainians are talking about rather large concentrations of Russian forces behind the lines that have been built up but not committed yet. And there is the suspicion that they're going to launch a large scale big arrow offensive sometime later this year. In fact, the Kiev regime has just in the past week evacuated the entirety of Harko region. Some 85 settlements ordered the civilian evacuation because they fear a big offensive in the harko direction in the coming probably months, perhaps weeks. Dr Leon (15:36): President Biden told us during his State of the Union address that Ukraine can stop Putin, Ukraine can stop Putin if we stand with Ukraine and provide the weapons that it needs to defend itself. That's all he says. In fact, there are no American soldiers at war in Ukraine. My question is, who's operating these US supplied Patriot air defense systems and are there US special forces trainers that are on the ground training these forces? Mark Sleboda (16:14): Okay, so first to the last point, Joe Biden is lying genocide. Joe is flat up lying and we know it because the Western mainstream media has told us already in the summer of 2022 in the New York Times and the Washington Post talking about unusually large numbers of US intelligence and US and European commandos on the ground in Ukraine. Then later we heard there were hundreds of uniformed US troops on the ground, again from the western mainstream media that were doing tracking of Western supplied weapons. Now, if that's really what they were doing, then they weren't doing a very good job because it was only weeks after that we heard that the West couldn't track these weapons at all. So I mean either they were completely incompetent or they are doing something else on the ground Dr Leon (17:15): On top of them. Wait a minute, are these also, aren't these the same stories that a lot of these weapons are showing up in other battles in other countries? Mark Sleboda (17:24): Yes. Yes. With the idea that a tithe essentially of Western weapons is being sold through corruption in the Ukrainian military and the distribution networks off because of the prevalent corruption in the country to pad their own pockets. And then I don't think there's anything question about that. The Western mainstream media has long reported about that. In fact, early on, CBS noted that some 70% of the weapons supplied by the west were not reading the front lines. This was early on in the conflict. So on top of those commandos, we now the Russian government has long complained that these high-tech systems supplied by the west from the US in particular the high Mars and multiple launch rocket systems in the Patriot air defense systems, as well as some French air defense systems, Polish crab artillery systems, British storm shadows, cruise missiles, that these are all being operated by western military specialists who are being sent there under the guise of mercenaries or humanitarian and aid workers and the like, because it is impossible to train the Kiev regime forces in such a short period of time to operate these advanced western systems. (19:09) The Russian government's been saying this for a considerable amount of time, but this was confirmed by no less a person than the German chancellor Olaf Schultz, who in an apparent spat back and forth with the French leader, Emmanuel Macron, and to the British as well, when the British were pressuring Germany to deliver the Taurus missiles, the context of Ola Schultz is we can't do what the British, the French, and the Americans are doing and have people obliquely. He admitted that the West had their military forces on the ground operating their systems and that Germany could not be seen as doing that. And this was reinforced in these leaked military calls from the German Air Force planning, a series of cruise missile attacks inside Russia with the expected to be delivered towards cruise missile system, at least expected by them. The political elites in Germany aren't saying that, but they also revealed that the German cruise missiles could perhaps be operated on the ground by the rather large number of Americans of people on the ground wearing civilian clothes with American accents, which of course is a roundabout way of saying US military personnel not in uniform on the ground in Ukraine. (20:58) So I mean, they just have to Dr Leon (20:59): Be curious from Kansas that are wandering the fields and the step of Germany and Russia and Ukraine. Mark Sleboda (21:07): Yeah, they're not wearing boots. They're wearing ballet slippers or figure skates or something, I guess. So that's a lie. Second of all, the Kim regime can defeat. Well, Ukraine can beat Putin, right? The childish way that western leaders and media try to demonize any opponent down to just one leader and so forth. But if that was true, if Western military aid in Ukrainian regime hands was enough to beat Russia, then what happened over their failed summer counter offensive that was armed trained, financed intelligence planned and war gamed out by nato, primarily US by the Pentagon, that's who did it. They failed. They failed badly. They were mauled. They never even got past the first of Russia's five echelon defensive lines and suffered horrible casualties in the process. No one denies that. So there is no indication that however additional tens of billions of dollars of aid are sent that the West will ever again able to build an offensive force like they did for Ukraine in the summer offensive because they simply don't have the weapons in inventory to replace everything like that. (22:50) They do have some things, they got plenty of Bradleys if they want. Obviously they're very reticent to allow the rather small number of Abrams that they've sent to be used in combat. Four of them have been destroyed after just appearing on the battlefield in the last week. But the rest of the Western militaries that supplied weapons, they're tapped out. France, Germany, Denmark, the United Kingdom, they've all said, we can't supply anymore because we've already dug past our stockpiles into our own military supplies and we can't replace these systems fast enough. For instance, one French Caesar self-propelled Howitzer, a total of 36 of these between France and Denmark were supplied to the Kiev regime for the course of that offensive. And they're practically through all of them, they have very few of them left because Russia's been hunting them down. And also they are subjected to considerable wear and tear, and they're not actually built for high intensity combat like this, much like the US' M triple sevens and the Paladins and the like. But it takes the French 18 months, the French military industrial complex, 18 months. 18 months Dr Leon (24:20): To Mark Sleboda (24:21): Build one Dr Leon (24:22): That's a year and a half Mark Sleboda (24:23): One Caesar. But we heard that they have shortened that time to 15 months. Oh Dr Leon (24:30): Wow. That makes me feel a whole lot better. You just mentioned the leaked recordings from the German Air Force, and is it a coincidence that after these conversations were leaked where the Germans were talking about taking out bridges in Russia with cruise missiles that Victoria Newland resigns because there are some who say that her name was mentioned in on these tapes and that the German Air Force officers were really talking about conversations either they had with her or ideas that she was presenting about these attacks inside Russia? Mark Sleboda (25:16): Yeah, there's a possibility there, and if that is the situation, then it appears that she was probably forced out by the Biden administration. But are I think there are other considerations in play. Victoria Newland, the Queen NeoCon of the us, she's married to Robert Kagan who is the arch NeoCon of the United States. Robert Kagan, his books, check them out if you're unfamiliar with his sinister work. I would say she has long dominated through several presidencies US policy towards Ukraine. She was instrumental in the actual Westpac, my Don pooch, if not the key architect of it. She was caught on recordings with then US Ambassador Jeffrey Piat, talking about how they needed to midwife this thing, bring then Obama's Vice President Joe Biden into midwife it picking the new Prime Minister of Ukraine, Arsen Ya from the leaders, the figurehead leaders of the Maidan, and then famously saying F, the when the idea that the Europeans might want someone else for Ukraine's next prime minister was presented. So I mean she's been instrumental and she briefly left office during the Trump administration and then came right back. She has been serving as under Secretary for political affairs, which despite the rather kafkaesque bureaucratic name is actually the third highest official within the US Department of War. I'm sorry, not the US Department of War, US Department of State. My bad. Dr Leon (27:23): I can understand the confusion. Mark Sleboda (27:24): I said the difference. Yeah, she a third highest official and she was actually operating as the second highest official just below the Secretary of State for about a half of year when Wendy Sherman, the previous Deputy Secretary of State stepped down. So she was doing the number two and number three job and it was widely expected that she would be permanently assigned to that position, a permanently elevated to Deputy Secretary of State. But we found out that just a month ago she was passed over for this position by Kirk Campbell. The Biden approved someone else, and Kirk Campbell is an Asia specialist. He's a specialist on China, which to my mind tells me that the Biden administration is tiring of this conflict in Ukraine and they're already looking past it despite the bad situation. Their proxy regime is in to China, which may indicate a planned change of policy or at least prioritization or at the very least an unwillingness to escalate further, I say may. Dr Leon (28:48): So does that mean then that the Biden administration is now following along the previous Obama administration's tilt towards Asia? Mark Sleboda (29:02): Yeah, that's entirely possible. I believe that's what the Biden administration always wanted to do. They wanted the Middle East to remain quiet and it was not a priority for them. That didn't go out down so well. Just a week before the October 7th, seventh launching of the all Axel flood operation by Hamas on Israel, Jake Sullivan was in an essay talking about how nice and quiet the Middle East was, which allowed the US to concentrate on other areas. Well, that didn't go so well then since then. But they wanted the Middle East to be quiet. They expected to finish off Russia quickly. They expected their sanctions to destroy the Russian economy, Putin to be overthrown, and because of the economic commiseration of the country Dr Leon (29:58): They wrong Mark Sleboda (30:00): And that they would now, their biggest concern would be dividing up Russia into smaller pieces and how to go about that. That appears to have been their plan. Okay, so not so good on the plan thing, but then they hoped they thought that would be finished quickly and then to pivot hard to China. I think that was always their plan to finish Russia off quickly, ignore the Middle East and pivot hard to China. And none of that, of course has gone according to plan. So with A and B having failed, they're trying to go to C anyway in very likely the months at this point that they have remaining to them. And I think that the passing over of Victoria Newland for that is a sign that the Biden administration is already lost interest, possibly due to inability to achieve their desired goals and is shifting to the next goals that they can't probably accomplish even more so I would say if they think that they're going to defeat China in some type of conflict off of their own coast in the Taiwan Straits and South China Sea. But anyway, I expect that Victoria Newland was extremely unhappy about being passed over. She was probably, she can see the bureaucratic writing on the wall that the prioritization is changing away from her reason for existence, which is fighting Russia. And I think that that probably at least as much if not more so played a role in her deciding to quit or being forced out. We don't know the real truth of that yet, although I imagine that she won't be able to keep her mouth shut forever on that score Dr Leon (31:51): Or her husband. So political reports that France finds Baltic allies in its spat with Germany over Ukraine troop deployment, that France is building up an alliance of countries to open potentially that are open to potentially sending Western troops to Ukraine. That Mark sounds to me like there's a lot of tension within nato. And going again back to President Biden State of the Union, he told us America is a founding member of nato, the Military Alliance of Democratic Nations, and that to prevent war, we've made NATO even stronger, which is the point that I was trying to get to about this element of his speech that we've made NATO even stronger, and now he also assigns or attributes Finland joining NATO as evidence of NATO's strength. It doesn't sound like, it doesn't sound like it's all good in Mark Sleboda (32:59): Yeah, I mean definitely. I mean, Hungary and Slovakia of course are the most egregious examples of this because they are completely against the proxy war now being fought on Russia in Ukraine completely. They won't have anything to do with it. But yeah, there are definitely, I think tensions and cracks emerging and a bit of a panicked blame game going on right now with different European countries all trying to blame each other saying You haven't done enough. And with Macron coming out now in the aftermath of the taking of a DKA coming out and openly talking about putting NATO troops on the ground, I think this is not something that is a secret, something that has not been discussed for, and something that contingency plans are not already in place to do in the future. They just aren't in a political situation to have it said out loud. Now, I think that's the real problem that Germany and other countries have. It's causing them, no one is ready to do it now, and the fact that it has been brought up now, they see as politically detrimental to them in their own countries Dr Leon (34:29): As in the farmers' protests in Germany, Mark Sleboda (34:32): Yeah, in Poland, yes, Poland. I mean there are protests across Europe, but also, yes, the fragile coalition government in Germany, the rise of the A FD, the alternative for Germany, the alternative for Deutsche Man, yeah, party in Germany. These are all blowback from the European involvement in the conflict in Ukraine, and they just did not need this. Now, I think Macron has pointed out two things. One is that levels of escalation in this conflict, red lines that we will not cross in terms of escalation have been passed again and again and again. I remember back in February and March of 2022 when Joe Biden saying that US tanks and jets us would never supply tanks and jets to Ukraine because that would mean World War iii, right? But US tanks are now burning in the urban agglomerations of the Donez region, and US F sixteens are supposedly on their way within the next couple of months to the Kiev regime. (35:55) So again and again, these lines have been crossed, and I believe this line will be crossed eventually, but not yet. The second point, and Macron pointed this out, what we once thought was unacceptable has become normal operations repeatedly during this conflict as they've crawled further up or down the escalation ladder, however you choose to look at it. And he also then made a point that when French troops might be sent into Ukraine, when Russian forces move on Kiev or Odessa, which is most likely some time away, probably more than a year, maybe longer than that. So yeah, I mean, right now fighting Russia has a lot of advantages on the battlefield, but big advances can still be measured in a handful of kilometers, a tree line, a small village. (37:04) The writing is on the wall in terms of the logistics of a war of attrition and everything, but I think there's still a lot of hard ground slogging into the future. Macron sees that as well, so they're panicking now. I think he's right that when Russia moves towards Kia or Odessa, there will be probably greater support for his suggestions, but we've already seen support from the Baltics. The Baltic leaders have come out and said, yes, we're ready to send the handful of troops that we have now, because if there's anything the Baltics country need is to come out on the losing end of this conflict, having sent their own troops to war with Russia and having a NATO either fall apart or turned into a toothless tiger as a result of this really, really bad geopolitical move to my mind. I mean, because they're of course the most vulnerable. (38:05) They've got large populations of Russian ethnic populations that they have been rather seriously politically and linguistically culturally repressing, particularly over the last two years, even trying to expel as many Russian ethnic people from their countries as they can, practically inviting some type of Russian backed efforts against those governments in the Baltics, really not a smart move, but also Poland has made the Polish foreign minister Sikorsky back again, by the way, has also seemed to suggest contrary to statements by the Polish president, that at some point down the line, Polish troops could be sent into Ukraine and also Canada. Trudeau has also volunteered Canadian troops as well in non-combat roles of course, because that's what you do with your military troops. You send them into a conflict zone Dr Leon (39:16): Very as non-combatants Mark Sleboda (39:19): Like trainers. First you have trainers and advisors, then you have non-combatants. We know the way this goes, so obviously there is already, and check the Czech president has also suggested he is a former NATO official himself, a very big hawk on Russia, and he has also hedged his words and seemed to suggest that Czech might be able to consider it. So these are countries who are already coming out and we're just past aca, which is really only about 12 kilometers away from Donis city, right? I mean, there's a lot more to come and the panic and desperation will increase, and I think Macron will definitely find more countries down the road when it becomes completely impossible to deny as it will become in the future, the writing on the wall that the regime cannot hold militarily. The New York Times has already talked about the possibility, and I think it's a very strong possibility of later this year cascading collapses along the Kiev regime's, defensive lines, not me, but the New York Times has raised that as is talking to anonymous western military intelligence analysts about the probable course of the Ukrainian battlefield over the next half a year. Dr Leon (40:51): We mentioned Sweden joining NATO and Finland has joined nato, and we know about the very strong and robust social programs that those countries have because they, up until this point, have had a position of neutrality in conflict, which means they haven't had to send the public resources over to a defense budget. Now that that seems to be changing, are we looking at Finland and Sweden as having to shift those resources? We now see more NeoCon policy as well as what we'll call austerity measures. Can we expect austerity measures to creep their way into social policy in Finland and in Sweden? Mark Sleboda (41:49): Yeah, inevitably, I think we've already seen it to a certain degree. They've already, of course, suffered heavy economic consequences from their own sanctions on Russia, probably more significant than have been experienced by the Russian economy. Finland in particular did a very good cross border business. I was on the Finnish Russian border just a year ago at kind of a wilderness vacation place on the border there, well, actually a couple of years ago before the conflict, but very nice, and it was normal to cross the border from Russia and Finland to go to the store, for instance. Someone had this better, someone had that better, and there was a great deal of cross border business that has immensely suffered as a result already hurting the finish economy. The Swedes have suffered the same thing, perhaps to a lesser degree without sharing an open border, but experienced it as well, and now, I mean they've exhausted a great deal. (42:58) Finland and Sweden have both provided outsized military resources to the Kiev regime already, and those resources like so much else, are largely gone. They're either up in smoke or filtered away in the Kiev regime's corruption, so on top of the Kiev regime, of course, loudly demanding more, more, they also have to replenish their own military stocks, and now they have to militarize their own borders, which were UNM militarized, particularly in the case of Finland, which has a very large border. It was demilitarized, it was not a militarized border. There was police presence, but it was not a militarized border that is now changing and of course, facing the prospect of Finland joining NATO and US forces on finished soil, Russia has reordered, completely changed military districting on the border there and provided tens of thousands of new troops to be placed on the border as having to potentially deal with US troops being stationed in Finland as defensive contingencies, Finland is going to bear an increased burden with military. I do not see how this makes them more secure than they were before. I mean, they weren't targeted with nuclear missiles, and now they will be. (44:36) I guess that is the price of joining the cool Western Kids Club in nato, which it seems that the Finnish political elite wanted more than not creating economic and military problems with their much larger southern neighbor. Dr Leon (44:57): I read a story recently that elite units of Ukrainian armed forces are discussing overthrowing zelensky. Is that a rumor? Any traction of that story there in Moscow and any insight into commanders and soldiers in elite units of the Ukrainian armed forces? They're dissatisfied with the reshuffling of the leadership and they're talking about ousting VMI Zelensky. Mark Sleboda (45:30): Yeah. When Zelensky got rid of zany, and let's be clear, this didn't happen because of his military failures on the battlefield. It was done for political reasons because he saw zany as a threat as possibly running for president himself for staging a military coup and the possibility there were plenty of signs that the US was actually for a time considering switching horses, which is why he forbade elections in Ukraine, citing the martial law emergency powers, and so that he didn't have to face zny in an election, which the polls say he would've lost because zany has more support in the country than he does now. He didn't only get rid of ny, he got rid of whole streams of top down to low level commanders who were seen as loyal to ny. There was a huge reshuffling or replacement of Ukrainian of the Kev regime's military leaders. As a result of this, there's a lot of embittered military people because of this. We don't need to look in secret telegram chat rooms to hear this discussion because Dr Leon (46:56): Regime, which is where this story was originally attributable, yeah, the Mark Sleboda (47:00): Story is sourced from here, but there have already been open public statements by Kiev regime, military commanders on the battlefield saying to the Ukrainian journalists, this is wrong. There was a list signed by hundreds of Ukrainian military commanders serving on the battlefield, a petition asking Zelensky to get rid of Ky, whom he chose to replace Zelensky, whom is known as the Dr Leon (47:38): Butcher, the butcher Mark Sleboda (47:40): By his own forces, not because of the opponents that he kills, but because of his careless attitude towards the lives of his own people. So they made an Dr Leon (47:54): That's not a good moniker. As a commander, you don't want your own forces seeing you in the light of butchering them. Mark Sleboda (48:04): Yeah, I mean, my military experience tells me that that would not be the type of military commander that I wanted. Certainly, and I seriously doubt that they do as well. Plus Sirki is actually ethnic Russian. He was born in Russia in the Soviet Union. His family still lives in Russia, and they're actually quite Russian patriotic, so it's a rather bizarre situation, and in many ways there's a lot of Dr Leon (48:30): Parallels. It makes for a tough Christmas dinner. Mark Sleboda (48:32): I don't think it makes for a Christmas dinner at all. I'm pretty sure, and there are definitely parallels with the US Civil War to be drawn there and with so many other families across Russia and Ukraine. But yeah, they've made demands of Zelensky public demands that they replace, that they bring back zany and get rid of ky, and of course that was ignored and large numbers of those commanders were replaced. But if they're discussing it openly and he's already taking this vengeful action against them, there's no great surprise that they are talking about it in what they believe to be secret chat rooms about taking it into their own hands. It's rather interesting, of course, that the Russian intelligence chose to make this public because if they have penetrated this chat room, you can be totally sure that the key regime's military intelligence, let's say Ka bov loyal to Zelinsky, has penetrated this as well, and by going public with it, Russia might be forcing Zelinsky hand to take action against these coup plotting, even if it's in the very nascent, we hate this guy, why can't we get rid of him? Stage of, shall we say, trash talk. It might be forcing Zelinsky hand to take action now, probably because Russia sees Zelensky and KY in charge of the key regime, political and military as far better for them than ny, whom was not a brilliant military commander, but perhaps not an entirely incompetent one either. Dr Leon (50:36): Switching gears, the cradle is reporting US proxies fear, Afghan style withdrawal from Syria. The Syrian democratic force is the SDF. They're fearing that their US patrons will abandon them in favor of closer ties with Turk, what's happening here with the US military, their Kurdish proxies occupying northeast Syria and fearing a Afghan like pullout. Is that a serious cause for concern? Mark Sleboda (51:13): I mean, that has been a serious cause for concern since 2016, right? The Kurds have been thrown different Kurds, but Kurds have been thrown under the bus by the US government after having been turned into proxies again and again by the United States in Iraq multiple times in Syria, previously against Turkey. Turkey Dr Leon (51:38): Going all the way back to HW Bush, Mark Sleboda (51:40): Yes, Dr Leon (51:42): Throwing the Kurds under the bus. Yes, Mark Sleboda (51:44): It's primary routine, which really amazes me that Kurds keep willing to be US proxies when they see the long history, not just of the US abandoning proxies like say in Afghanistan, but the US specifically abandoning Kurdish proxies before and abandoning these same Kurdish proxies. When Turkey advanced into northern Syria, they still, of course controlled northern Syria while the US illegally military occupies East Syria. They with just withdrew their forces and said, we're not going to defend you. Sorry. You should probably pull back or the Turks will wipe you up. I mean, that has already happened. The Turks regard the SDF as the YPG, the Syrian branch of the PKK, which is opposed to the Turkish government and fighting for the cause of a Kurdish ethnic nation state that would have to be carved out of parts of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and perhaps Iran. They are the biggest ethnic people in the world that do not have a nation state. (52:55) And it was inevitable that at some point, if the US failed to overthrow the government in Damascus with their jihadi regime change, that they would at some point leave East Syria and they haven't done so yet. And despite the rumors to the contrary, I don't expect them to do so in the near future, but it is inevitable at some point is you can't maintain an open-ended occupation of a very large amount of territory forever, despite sitting on the Syrias valuable oil and wheat fields preventing the economic stabilization of the country seemingly out of spite geopolitical spite. If nothing else, you can't maintain this forever, especially with the increase in the number of attacks on US bases in Syria and Iraq from local resistance groups like Katai, Hezbollah who don't want the US occupying their countries, right, meaning Syria and Iraq. There's certainly a cost that has to be paid there, but the cost is still not extremely high, and Biden already being seen as responsible for the disastrous Vietnam style withdrawal from Afghanistan leading the Taliban to completely retake the country in rather embarrassing fashion. (54:40) He does not want to be seen the same role in Syria, I think certainly not in the next year. Perhaps if he wins reelection against all odds, then there might be a possibility in his next administration. But a word of warning, if we do see Biden moving troops out of Syria and Iraq, the reason would probably be that they intend to strike Iran and they're moving their forces out of the range of Iranian ballistic missiles that would target them if that happened. There's a history of us withdrawals preceding attacks elsewhere when the US pulled out of Afghanistan. We found out later from the US Secretary of State that withdrawing from Afghanistan allowed the US to provide the resources to the Kiev regime in Ukraine that they would not have been able to do otherwise. So it seems that they already had intentions towards that regard, so watch it. If Biden does pull out of Syria, it may not actually be good for the Syrians or for anyone else in the region. It might actually be a signal that the US intends to escalate towards Iran. Dr Leon (56:08): Is there a possibility in terms of signaling here that we look at, of course, Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah is now talking about escalating in terms of coming through Lebanon. If this thing were to grow even more full, great even more bringing Iran in, you've got Ansar Allah in the game, does Syria get in the game as well? And so could the United States move out of Syria, be in preparation for a larger conflagration of that nature? Mark Sleboda (56:52): Yeah, I don't see that. First of all, I think the US and Iran are still doing everything possible to avoid direct conflict with each other, hence the stand down by Katai Hezbollah saying they wouldn't attack US military bases any further. And it is actually Israel who is talking about escalating against Hezbollah in Lebanon. I think the US and Iran are both doing everything they can to maintain their state's dignity and still dance around each other, avoiding direct conflict in the Middle East. That said, Israel is doing everything possible to incite conflict between the US and Iran, which makes that a non guarantee. But the Syrian government is in a very weak position economically. The US is still illegally occupying the entirety of the east of the country, including the country's oil and wheat resources. The country is, the government is unstable, it's economic, very hard times, and Turkey is still occupying the entirety of the north of the country, and they still have a hundred thousand jihadi under arms occupying those territories in northern Syria. And of course the US military occupation forces alongside the Kurdish YPG in East Syria. The Syrian government is in no geopolitical or military shape to contribute to a fight. I do not see this blowing up because no one wants to go to war with the US over Gaza. No one except for our sala. Dr Leon (58:45): Final question for you. The United States relative to Syria developing stronger ties with Toa, how can the US make Reproachment in this manner when Erdowan is so erratic and undependable? Mark Sleboda (59:05): Yeah, I don't think they can. Does Dr Leon (59:06): That make sense? Mark Sleboda (59:08): Yeah. I think Erdowan has become a perennial thorn in their side that they constantly need to keep appeased to prevent him from, shall we say, flipping into the bricks Eurasian camp, and Erdogan routinely plays the US and Russia off of each other to what he sees as his country's advantage. The US support of the Kurds in East Syria, of course, has infuriated him, as has the US withdrawal of the F 35 program from Turkey when Erdogan bought the S 400 Air defense system Dr Leon (59:50): From Russia, Mark Sleboda (59:51): Yes, from Russia, he also regards the US as at least being, if not complicit, then at least having knowledge of the coup attempt against him several years ago. Very bad relations there. The US cannot rely on Turkey and Turkey. Well, it sees itself as being betrayed by the United States. I don't see any ability to improve relations between the two until there is regime change perhaps in the United States, but more than likely it will require Erdogan passing on one way or another for a substantial change in Turkish US relations. Dr Leon (01:00:37): I know I said that was my last question, but this is my last question. Since you mentioned the coup in Turk a few years ago, Golan is still, I believe, somewhere in Pennsylvania at a property in Pennsylvania. Are you surprised that he has not been turned over to Turk as a way of appeasing erdowan, and do you think that Golan can be fairly confident that he's not going to be turned over as a fig leaf for better relations? Mark Sleboda (01:01:16): Yeah, I think the US constantly sees him as a bit of leverage. The US likes to keep shadow governments in place for just about every country in the world. Somewhere in the United States, leaders forces Dr Leon (01:01:30): The Shah's Sun is still roaming around Northern Mark Sleboda (01:01:32): Virginia. The Shah's son, Joe Biden just declared Yulia Navalny and then Yolanda, whoever she is, to be the new leader of the Russian opposition. You've got Juan Gau still out there. This is actually absolutely normal. There are entire communities outside Langley that are just exist of us backed shadow governments ready, waiting to be installed in foreign countries. But I have to say that I don't actually think the Golan movement had anything to do with the coup against Erdogan that occurred several years ago. This was almost entirely, once again, a military attempt to restore a kaist state in Turkey against Erdogan's Islamism. It was just sprung early by the Turkish government under what it believed to be controlled conditions, and then rather than admitting a secular Islamist divide in the country, they simply blamed it on a convenience scapegoat, which was the ING gong. I don't think that he actually had anything to do with that QI think that's just a rather vocal if unconvincing bit of Turkish propaganda that everyone has just played along with. So as not to anger Erdogan. In fact, the Russian president when asked about it a couple of years ago, when asked about their responsibility for the coup, his comments were pretty much to the point of if Erdogan says that's what happened, who am I to say otherwise? Dr Leon (01:03:26): Mark Sloboda, man, thank you so much. I always appreciate you carving out the time for me and for the show that you do. Mark Shada, really appreciate you joining me today. Mark Sleboda (01:03:38): Thanks for having me. Dr Leon (01:03:40): And folks, thank you all so much for listening to the Connecting the Dots podcast with me, Dr. Wiler Leon. Stay tuned for new episodes every week. Also, please, please follow and subscribe, leave a review, share the show. We're growing tremendously, but we can only grow as you allow us to follow us on social media. You can find all the links below in the show description. And remember, folks, that this is where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge because talk without analysis is just chatter, and we do not chatter on connecting the dots. See you again next time. Until then, I'm Dr. Wier Leon. Have a great one. Peace. We're out Announcer (01:04:31):  

Turkish military forces are carrying out an air assault on US-backed Kurdish forces in Syria, and Ankara has warned that a land operation may follow. The crackdown comes amid reports that Washington may pull its forces out of Syria and Iraq. Turkey's government accuses Kurdish forces in north-eastern Syria of being linked to attacks on its army. Turkish drone strikes are bombarding oil refineries and electricity production in the Syrian border region controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a coalition of ethnic militias and rebel groups."The targets are energy infrastructure and that sort of stuff. Obviously, the goal is to make that area not sustainable, as a sustainable haven for the SDF," says Aydin Selcen, a former senior Turkish diplomat and now regional analyst for the Medyascope news portal.The SDF's ranks include the Kurdish People's Defence Units (YPG) and Women's Protection Units (YPJ), which Ankara accuses of being affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. The armed movement is considered a terrorist organisation by both Ankara and Washington."The end game as defined by the Turkish authorities is to prevent a terrorist statelet [being created] beyond Turkish borders," explains Selcen."This means allowing the PKK or its Syrian affiliates, the YPG and YPJ, to establish a local administration in that area. War on terror is perhaps the number one priority for this government." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month threatened a new land invasion into Syria.Turkish forces already control a large swathe of Syrian territory from previous operations against Syrian Kurdish forces.Possible US withdrawalThe SDF is backed by a US military force of around 900 soldiers in the war against the so-called Islamic State group, raising the possibility of a conflict between NATO and its allies.Ankara's ongoing assault comes amid reports that Washington is considering pulling its forces out of Syria and Iraq."Washington may be preparing to hand off SDF as a partner to the Syrian regime and saying: 'you guys sort yourselves out, we are actually going to leave'," said Turkey analyst Sinan Ciddi of the US-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies."The administration is apparently toying with the idea that it's no longer worth keeping US troops there because they are in harm's way," he said.At least some in the US administration want to explore, if they pulled their troops from northern Syria, "the extent to which Turkey could sort out its problems with the Kurds via engaging with the Syrian regime", Ciddi added.US-Turkey resetA US withdrawal from Syria would relieve years of tension between NATO allies Turkey and the United States."Unfortunately, this relationship with the United States and YPG creates a barrier between Turkey and the United States," said Bilgehan Alagoz, a professor of international relations at Istanbul's Marmara University. "A NATO ally should not act against other allies' national concerns," she said. "That's the main reason why Turkey perceives US policy in Syria as a national security concern." Sweden deal unlikely to resolve bitter dispute between NATO and TurkeyWith Ankara last month lifting its veto on Sweden's NATO membership and the White House reciprocating by green-lighting the sale of military jets to Turkey, the NATO allies appear to be seeking to reset ties. Analyst Selcen warns time may be running out for the SDF."If the Americans leave, it will be very difficult for the SDF to survive unless they cut a deal with Damascus," Selcen said. "But the timing is of the essence, of course – they cannot get the same terms that they will get once the Americans leave."Damascus compromiseBut Selcen suggests if the SDF moves quickly, it could secure a deal with Damascus that ensures its survival – at least in the short term, given the weakness of the Syrian security forces."At the end of the day, they will have to come up with some kind of modus vivendi with [Syrian President Bashar Al] Assad. It does not mean that Assad will come to control this region again as he did. But they will have to come up with some sort of a solution with Damascus."There could equally be advantages for the Turkish government, he believes. Turkey lays the ground for a smoothing of relations with Syria"It will also be, in the end, a kind of a safe face-saving formula for Ankara, which can now take Damascus as the main interlocutor to deal with this [Kurdish problem]," Selcen said."All these sides will be very happy to see the American presence leave the region – with the exception of, of course, the Iraqi Kurds and the Syrian Kurds."Opposition to the US military presence in Syria is rare common ground between Ankara and Damascus.If Damascus was to retake control of the predominantly Kurdish region, analysts say, it could be enough for Erdogan to claim victory over the SDF, end Turkey's assault, and remove the main point of tension between Ankara and Washington.

Ankara's ratification of Sweden's NATO membership after a 10-month delay has spurred hopes of a reset in relations between Turkey and the alliance, but tensions still run deep. French President Emmanuel Macron's recent state visit to Sweden focused heavily on defence amid Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.While its NATO membership was seen as critical amid persisting concerns over border security, Turkey refused to ratify Sweden's entry until a long list of demands from its partners were met.Sweden's accession saw a lifting of restrictions by NATO countries on military hardware sales to Turkey, says Aydin Selcen, a former senior Turkish diplomat who is now a regional analyst for Mediyacope, a Turkish news portal."F-16s are being bought [from the US]. This will keep the Turkish air force up in the air for some time... Deals like this one will keep the relationship afloat," he told RFI.F-16 dealFor years, US President Joe Biden blocked the sale of American F-16 fighter jets amid concerns over rising tensions between Turkey and its neighbours over territorial disputes.With Ankara ratifying NATO's expansion, the White House has authorised the sale, and Congress is expected to ratify the deal. However it may not be the diplomatic victory Ankara claims."The last I heard was the State Department was drawing up a letter demanding the transfer of F-16s as a kind of a certification program," says Turkey specialist Sinan Ciddi, of the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies."They could halt transfers if the Turks , for example, continue to antagonise Greek airspace or overflights."Erdogan's advantage?Erdogan may retain an advantage, though. Hungary has yet to ratify Sweden's membership and Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Oban is a close ally of the Turkish leader.Last week, acting US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland held two days of talks in Ankara. The talks were focused on enabling better cooperation between the US and Turkey.Analyst Selcen says Turkey's is still as strategically important to NATO as it was when it joined in 1952 at the height of the Cold War."The same geopolitical reasons to keep Turkey as a strong military ally remain valid," said Selcen. "On the one hand against the north, Russia, and on the other Iran and other terrorist threats."The war against the Islamic State jihadists remains a point of tension because of Washington's support for Syrian Kurdish fighters.These include the YPG, which is affiliated with the PKK, and which has been fighting Turkey for decades and is designated by both the European Union and the US as a terrorist group."The US relationship with YPG poisons almost all the potential collaborations," political scientist Bilgehan Alagoz of Istanbul's Marmara University says.So first [the] United States should check its policy towards the YPG, and then Turkey and the United States can start talking about other issues."Erdogan, Alagoz adds, is holding NATO hostage to extract concessions over Sweden's membership.Along with his close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his refusal to impose sanctions against Moscow, this is raising questions over Ankara's loyalties.With the threat posed by Russia expected to grow, and the danger of contagion from the Israel-Hamas conflict, resolving the trust deficit between Turkey and its NATO partners has never been more important. French president urges Turkey to support Sweden's bid to join NATO

About the Lecture: From the Black Sea to the Eastern Mediterranean, war and counterterrorism operations define this century. The stakes in this vast, interconnected region are high and growing, and the U.S. needs a better policy and set of statecraft strategies. Russia, joined by help from Iran, wages war against Ukraine. Russian troops occupy part of Georgia. They now have naval, air, and ground bases in Syria. Iran has mounted attacks against U.S. and coalition troops in Iraq since at least 2005 and against U.S. and coalition personnel in Syria since at least 2015. Tehran has amped up funding, equipping, and training Hizballah, Hamas, and Houthi militants since the Arab Spring. Turkey, responsible for protecting NATO's southeastern flank, now deeply mistrusts the U.S. alliance with the YPG and Peshmerga, blames the U.S. for shielding Fethullah Gülen in Pennsylvania, and rejects U.S./NATO sanctions against its decision to buy Russian S-400s and Russian and Iranian energy. This highly volitile region is on fire. What actions and relationships will calm the waters? Or are we careening towards WWIII? Or…given the sophistry over our definitions of modern warfare and counterterrorism operations, are we already in WWIII? If so, how do we organize ourselves to win? Come share your ideas and hear ways we might realign U.S. policy architectures and statecraft practices. About the Speaker: Paula Doyle has over 30 years of national security and foreign policy experience with the Central Intelligence Agency, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the U.S. Department of State. Her areas of deep subject matter expertise include Turkey, Iran, Russia, Foreign Cyber Programs and Capabilities, Counterintelligence, Nuclear Weapons and Proliferation Programs, the Middle East, and NATO. Ms. Doyle teaches a 700-level course on Turkey, Russia, and Iran at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service, Center for Security Studies Program. She serves on the Board of Directors for the OSS Society, on the Board of Directors for the Central Intelligence Retirees Association, and as a Fellow at the National Security Institute, housed at George Mason University.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles got their Super Bowl LVII revenge on "Monday Night Football" with a 21-17 win over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. It marked coach Andy Reid's first loss to his former team and center Jason Kelce's first win over his brother, Travis Kelce. Philadelphia Eagles A talking point for the Eagles leading into the Super Bowl rematch with the Chiefs, coach Nick Sirianni said, was that the Chiefs were "not giving us their ring back if we beat them this week." It was a way to put a pin in the inflated hype around the game and get the Eagles to look at it as nothing more than a potential building block for the 2023 season. Still, this one had to feel pretty sweet. The Eagles escaped Arrowhead with a gritty 21-17 win. And while it doesn't alter what happed in Super Bowl LVII, it does put Philadelphia in great position as it makes a push for a return trip to the championship game. The Eagles maintain the best record in football (9-1) despite tests from playoff-caliber teams like the Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys and Chiefs in recent weeks. The hoopla surrounding the Super Bowl rematch is behind them, and the push for the top seed in the NFC is on. Eye-popping NextGen stat: Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones was double-teamed on 70% of his pass rushes and still generated four pressures and two sacks. Hurts was sacked by the Chiefs five times in the first half. Troubling trend: Philadelphia came in as the No. 1 rushing defense in the NFL (66.3 YPG) but got gashed for 121 yards in the first half alone. The Eagles had similar issues against the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII when Kansas City ran for 158 yards. QB breakdown: Hurts was under duress for the bulk of the first half and managed just 46 yards passing and an interception. He came up with some clutch moments in the second half, however, most notably on a 41-yard dime down the right sideline to DeVonta Smith midway through the fourth quarter, setting up Hurts' go-ahead touchdown run. Hurts finished 14-of-22 with 150 yards passing and rushed for two of the Eagles' touchdowns. -- Tim McManus Next game: vs. Bills (4:25 p.m. ET, Nov. 26) via  @espn  Social: Twitch-http://twitch.tv/GmiasWorld Facebook-http://www.facebook.com/GmiasWorld X-https://www.twitter.com/GmiasWorld Donate:https://streamlabs.com/gmiasworld Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/GmiasWorld GmiasWorld Merch: https://gmiasworld.myspreadshop.com Background Music (Exclusive) by @ZaneAlexanderNC #NFL #GMIASWORLD

This week on the show, we're featuring an interview with 3 activists involved in the Emergency Committee for Rojava about recent developments in Rojava, escalation of violence from the Turkish state and the KDP party-led Kurdish Regional Government in Iraq, experiences of recent visits to the region, updates on the US relationship to aggressive regimes in the region and other topics. If you are listening to the radio edition of this show, check out the podcast for another half hour of discussion on developments in the economic, ecological and gender parity elements of the Rojava revolution. Links XTwitterX: https://x.com/defendrojava FedBook: https://www.facebook.com/defendrojava Instagram: https://instagram.com/defendrojava TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@defendrojava Take action against the US complicity in Turkey's war on NES: https://www.defendrojava.org/call-congress On the latest attacks: https://www.syriandemocratictimes.com/2023/10/10/turkey-devastates-a-region-already-suffering/ A recent article about the Rojava revolution: https://www.truthdig.com/articles/rojavas-improvised-revolution/ Announcements Midweek Release on the December 8th Affair in France If you didn't hear, we released a podcast in the middle of last week with anarchists involved in anti-repression in France concerning the conspiracy case known as the December 8th Affair, where the French state surveilled and arrested a YPG veteran who goes by the name Libre Flot, as well as comrades and acquaintances on the accusation of building a terror network following the Movement for Black Lives uprisings of 2020. Support for Palestinians If you're looking for a way to support folks in or from Palestine during the unprecedented and genocidal violence of the Israeli settler state one non-profit we've heard is good for distributing funds to people in need is Hebron International Network, which can be found at https://www.nonviolenceinternational.net/donate_hirn . Surely there are more out there, but be careful to vet where you send money due to precedent set by the US government of pursuing charges against nonprofits funding people in Palestine by claiming they're supporting terrorists, even when they aren't, as in the case of the Holy Land Five. Michael Kimble Anarchist prisoner Michael Kimble is fundraising right now to help cover legal costs as he attempts to gain freedom from prison after decades behind bars. You can find more info at his support site, anarchylive.noblogs.org and make donations via the link at fundly.com/help-michael-kimble-hire-a-new-attonrey . … . .. Featured Track: Sekvano by Awazê Ciya

December 8th Affair Trial in France is Under Way Hey listeners, this mid-week release features the words of anarchists involved in or doing support for the December 8th Affair in France, in which 9 people were arrested at the end of 2020, following Movement for Black Lives protests took place around the world to challenge police impunity and racism. The French state is asserting, based on some pretty flimsy arguments, that 7 radical and anarchist folks were a part of a conspiracy to engage in terrorism based on their common connection to an activist recently returned from the supporting the YPG's fight against Daesh or ISIS in Rojava. This activist goes by the name Libre Flot, or Free Flow, and he shares some words here as well. Transcript PDF (Unimposed) Zine (Imposed PDF) The court case runs from October 3rd until 27th and can use international solidairty demonstrations, support for those defending themselves, and more that you can find information below: Support Site: https://solidaritytodecember8.wordpress.com/category/english/ Fundraising for Legal Fees: https://www.cotizup.com/soutien-8-12 Zine sharing Libre Flot's experiences in hunger strike: https://solidaritytodecember8.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/letter_a5_print-a4_045132-1.pdf Zine introduction to the case: https://solidaritytodecember8.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/what-is-the-december-8-affair.pdf . ... . .. Featured Track: Beef by Pete Rock from Soul Survivor Two (Instrumental)

Heatwaves around the Mediterranean - from Spain to Greece - have damaged olive harvests, with recent reports indicating that Europe has almost run out of local olive oil supplies. For its part, Greece- a key exporter of high quality extra virgin olive oil to the rest of the world - is expected to produce a third less than last year, and consumers are already experiencing significant price hikes on a product that is seen as essential in every Greek home. Vasilis Frantzolas, an olive oil seminar teacher and taster and the publisher of the book "Modern Techniques for Olive Growing and Production of Quality Olive Oil", joins Thanos Davelis to look at the scope of the crisis facing the olive oil industry today, break down what these shortages and inevitable price hikes mean for countries like Greece, and explore whether climate change is putting the future of this ancient industry at risk.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Europe's olive oil supply running out after drought – and the odd hailstormMajor olive oil heist in Halkidiki as prices surgeTurkey's Fidan declares all PKK, YPG facilities in Syria, Iraq as 'legitimate targets'Turkey threatens to expand strikes in Syria, IraqAnkara tables old energy proposal undermining existing framework on Cyprus

When do players prefer the bye week to land during the season? Thoughts on playing on Saturdays, as a fan versus a player. How the bye week effects the Colts. Vikings defense gives up the league most 403 YPG. Minnesota's offense is loaded. Stephon Gilmore versus Justin Jefferson will be the match-up to watch. Should Justin Jefferson be considered for NFL MVP? How should Indy play Dalvin Cook? Yannick need to have a good game, so the Colts can play top level zone defense. Jerraud doesn't care how it's done, just win. Jerraud won a game 3-2 in college.(Auburn vs. Mississippi St.) Thought on the progression of rookie WR: Alec Pierce. Parris Campbell has stayed healthy and been productive. Game Predictions.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Giorgio Cafiero, CEO of Gulf State Analytics, returns to discuss the rumblings about a potential Turkish ground operation in northern Syria. Is Turkey invading northeast Syria about to happen? Also how will the U.S. likely respond if it does? What should be made of U.S. response to the recent Turkish strikes in Syria and the possibility of a Turkish ground offensive there? Among the topics discussed in this conversation: - The perspective from Ankara, the capital of Turkey, in relation to Syria - Overview of the tumult in Syria since the 2011 uprising against the regime of Bashar al-Assad and the Ba'athist government in Damascus; the Syrian Civil War; the rise of the Islamic State; - Why did the overthrow of Assad not happen?; how has Assad managed to hold onto power? - The Kurds, the YGP (People's Defense Units), and the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party); the U.S. relationship with the YGP and operations against ISIS - U.S. shifting focuses in regards to Syria over the years; U.S. military presence in Syria - Turkish foreign policy concerns and interests; the ambitious nature of Turkey's foreign policy goals in regards to the Arab world; Turkey and geopolitics, Erdogan; the upcoming Turkish elections - Russia and Iran in Syria and the effect of the Ukraine/Russia War on U.S. foreign policy concerns - The effect of ISIS and jihadist terrorism on the region; allegations of different state actors supporting ISIS - Iran and the protest movement there - Risks for Turkey if a ground offensive happens - Turkey as an ally to the U.S. and why this may keep the U.S. from taking strong action (beyond condemnatory statements from public officials) against Turkey's current posturing on Syria - Turkey views YPG as linked with PKK and as a security threat - No love lost between Erdogan and Assad; if there is a reconciliation it won't be rosy but rather pragmatic and interests-based - Sunni Islamism, the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt, Tunisia, and shifts in Turkish foreign policy - Turkey and relationship resets in the Arab world; Turkey and the economy; Turkish business and commercial ties in the Arab world and specifically the Gulf States - U.S. says it's opposed to a Turkish invasion, but when push comes to shove Giorgio believes the U.S. won't do much against Turkey - U.S.-Turkey tensions before the Ukraine conflict, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and Turkey role in the Ukraine/Russia conflict - What are Washington's concerns when it comes to a Turkish military campaign in northern Syria?; fear that ISIS could be a beneficiary of a ground offensive; the view from Moscow as also being afraid of the consequences of a Turkish ground operation - Kurdish separatism and fears from Iraq, Iran, and Turkey of a Kurdish state forming - Historic tensions between Turkey and the Kurds; repression of Kurds in Turkey - Where is the Turkey/Syria situation headed from here? - And much, much more

Turkish fighter jets carried out dozens of airstrikes in northern Syria and Iraq on Sunday, in what Turkish officials said was a retaliation for a bombing in Istanbul last week. Ankara has blamed the PKK and the YPG in Syria for the bombing, despite both denying any involvement, and, as many have pointed out, there are still a number of questions around the attack that have yet to be answered. As the dust settles following Turkey's airstrikes, Erdogan is now suggesting the offensive could be widened into a ground operation. Expert Alan Makovsky joins Thanos Davelis to discuss whether these airstrikes are the precursor to another Turkish incursion into Syria, look at how this fits in with Erdogan's political calculations ahead of elections next year, and examine what such a move by Turkey would mean for its relations with the US.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Erdogan says Turkey's strikes in Syria, Iraq may lead to ground offensiveSyrian Kurdish commander says Kobani likely target of threatened Turkish ground offensiveThe Istanbul Terror Attack Is More Than It SeemsGreece: Boat with hundreds of migrants safely towed to portEgypt, Greece sign deals on migrant rescues, agriculture

A unique assessment of American military involvement in Syria, written by three very different authors who between them participated in all large Kurdish operations between late 2014 and mid-2016, experiencing first-hand the impact America had on the battlefield.With America's War on Terror and the subsequent democracy experiments in Afghanistan and Iraq having turned into geopolitical disasters, the US military campaign in alliance with the Kurdish forces in Syria remains a rare success story. Considering the overwhelming military victory, the functioning Kurdish civilian governing structures that followed the fighting, the extremely light military footprint and the strong link to Kurdish partners, many political analysts, military experts and politicians in Washington, DC, judge the intervention against ISIS in Syria as the nation's most successful campaign since World War II. However, since neither these experts nor many journalists were on the ground during the fighting, they struggle to explain exactly how this particular operation turned into a just war.The authors, however, were there. Between the three of them, they fought for over two years with the Kurdish forces. They participated in all the large Kurdish operations against the Islamic State between late 2014 and mid-2016. They endured muddy archaic trench warfare, witnessed the first waves of decisive US and British airstrikes against ISIS, and experienced the impact America had on the battlefield.Later, when American, British and French Special Forces were deployed at the front lines, the authors worked closely with those teams when they evacuated hundreds of wounded from the battlefield together.Based on the authors' unique insights, this book analyses America's war in Syria and structures the intervention into different phases including the secretive build up and the ultimate destruction of the ISIS Caliphate.Today's Sponsor:Mad Rabbit Tattoohttps://www.MADRABBIT.com/teamThey've preserved over 1.5 MILLION tattoos and right now, they've got an exclusive offer just for The Team house Project listeners. If you go to MadRabbit.com/team and use promo code Team you'll receive 25% off. Take care of those tats!

Bobby, Justin and Danny are giving their over/under predictions for the New York Giants 2022 season: Daniel Jones 235 Passing YPG Daniel Jones 22.5 TD Saquon Barkley 70 rushing YPG Kenny Golladay 5.5 TD   Kadarius Toney 58.5 Receiving YPG   Wan'Dale Robinson 35 catches   Kayvon Thibodeaux 7.5 sacks   Azeez Ojulari 7.5 sacks   Leonard Williams 6 sacks   Xavier McKinney 3.5 INT   Team Defense Passing Yards 4165 (245 YPG)   This episode was presented by SeatGeek   Go to https://getroman.com/WORLD today, and if you're prescribed, get $15 off your first month of ED treatment.   Click the link in the description to find yourself at your favorite new happy hour spot, burger joint, and luncheon! -https://www.marketing.bareburger.com/kitchenandbarnew/#bar-bites   Get in on the action with DraftKings Sportsbook and use promo code JOMBOY when signing up so they know we sent you! https://dkng.co/jomboy   If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXTSTEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/ visit http://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP(7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).   21+ (18+ WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NJ/NY/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. New customers only. Min. $5 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply and product offerings vary by state. See https://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.