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Türkiye Establishes Presence in Syria with 10,000 Soldiers, Dozens of Military Bases

Fighters of an extremist faction backed by Türkiye in the countryside of the city of Al-Bab, Aleppo Governorate, last January 8 (AFP)
Fighters of an extremist faction backed by Türkiye in the countryside of the city of Al-Bab, Aleppo Governorate, last January 8 (AFP)
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Türkiye Establishes Presence in Syria with 10,000 Soldiers, Dozens of Military Bases

Fighters of an extremist faction backed by Türkiye in the countryside of the city of Al-Bab, Aleppo Governorate, last January 8 (AFP)
Fighters of an extremist faction backed by Türkiye in the countryside of the city of Al-Bab, Aleppo Governorate, last January 8 (AFP)

For the past months, Turkish armed forces in northwestern Syria de-escalation zones have carried out redeployment and mergers at military points that were established under a Turkish-Russian agreement in 2017.

According to an agreement within the framework of the Astana talks, Türkiye gained the opportunity to expand its deployment of military points in the areas of contact within de-escalation zones.

The map of Turkish military deployment expanded until mid-2021 to include 113 military sites spread across five governorates: 55 in Aleppo, 43 in Idlib, nine in Raqqa, four in Hasakah, and two in Latakia.

However, the number of those sites was later reduced to 64 because of redeployment operations.

Turkish army deployment in northwestern Syria currently constitutes an obstacle to regime and Russian forces, as well as Iranian militias.

Turkish military points and bases are distributed in a way designed to make it difficult for pro-regime forces to advance towards opposition-held areas without first clashing with the Turkish forces directly.

According to a report published by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Friday, seven Turkish military brigades are currently deployed in Syria de-escalation zones. The brigades are distributed over 49 main military bases.

These bases are tasked with securing logistics support for Turkish forces.

Each combat brigade consists of 1,500 soldiers, meaning that the full number of Turkish forces in de-escalation zones amounts to 10,500 fully equipped soldiers.

Every military base in the region hosts dozens or hundreds of soldiers affiliated to different disciplines, such as engineering, special units, artillery units, missile units, and communication.

These forces are backed by artillery, tanks, armored vehicles, anti-aircraft systems and mine sweepers.

Moreover, every base contains a telecommunication tower of a Turkish mobile network.

Around 200 tanks, 400 armored vehicles, 800 armored personnel carriers and dozens of trucks and four-wheel drive vehicles are stationed in every Turkish base.

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Arab World

Trump Congratulates Zaidi on His Nomination to Be Next Iraqi Prime Minister

This handout photograph taken and released by the Iraqi Prime Minister's Press Office on April 28, 2026 shows new prime minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi talking on the phone at his office in Baghdad. (Iraqi Prime Minister’s Press Office /AFP)
This handout photograph taken and released by the Iraqi Prime Minister's Press Office on April 28, 2026 shows new prime minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi talking on the phone at his office in Baghdad. (Iraqi Prime Minister’s Press Office /AFP)
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Trump Congratulates Zaidi on His Nomination to Be Next Iraqi Prime Minister

This handout photograph taken and released by the Iraqi Prime Minister's Press Office on April 28, 2026 shows new prime minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi talking on the phone at his office in Baghdad. (Iraqi Prime Minister’s Press Office /AFP)
This handout photograph taken and released by the Iraqi Prime Minister's Press Office on April 28, 2026 shows new prime minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi talking on the phone at his office in Baghdad. (Iraqi Prime Minister’s Press Office /AFP)

US President Donald Trump congratulated Ali al-Zaidi on his nomination to be next prime minister of Iraq on Thursday, saying that he looked forward to a highly productive new relationship.

Iraq's alliance of Shiite political blocs, the Coordination Framework, on Monday named Zaidi as its ‌nominee for the ‌post of prime minister, a ‌coalition ⁠statement said.

"We wish ⁠him success as he works to form a new Government free from terrorism that could deliver a brighter future for Iraq," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

"We look ⁠forward to a strong, vibrant, ‌and highly ‌productive new relationship between Iraq and the United ‌States."

Trump also invited Zaidi to visit ‌Washington after forming a government during a phone call on Thursday in which he congratulated him on his nomination, according to ‌a statement from the Iraqi prime minister's media office.

The call reviewed ⁠strategic ⁠ties between Iraq and the US and ways to strengthen cooperation across multiple fields, the statement said, adding that both sides affirmed joint efforts to support regional stability.

Trump had threatened in January to withdraw Washington's support for Iraq if former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was designated to form a cabinet.

Arab World

Israel Responds to Lebanon’s De-Escalation Demand with More Pressure, Attacks

A man passes on his scooter in front of a destroyed building that was hit few weeks ago by an Israeli airstrike, in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP)
A man passes on his scooter in front of a destroyed building that was hit few weeks ago by an Israeli airstrike, in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP)
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Israel Responds to Lebanon’s De-Escalation Demand with More Pressure, Attacks

A man passes on his scooter in front of a destroyed building that was hit few weeks ago by an Israeli airstrike, in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP)
A man passes on his scooter in front of a destroyed building that was hit few weeks ago by an Israeli airstrike, in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP)

Israel responded on Thursday to Lebanon’s demands for de-escalation with more evacuation warnings for southern towns that will increase internal pressure on the Lebanese state.

It issued the warnings even as Lebanese and United Nations proposals have been relayed to Israel over consolidating the ceasefire in the South. At the moment, these efforts appear to have yielded little results save for keeping Lebanese state infrastructure out of Israel’s targets.

UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert informed on Thursday Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on the outcome of her visit to Israel on Sunday as part of efforts to consolidate the ceasefire.

Informed sources said her visit yielded no initiative. Lebanese ministerial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that she conveyed “ideas and visions” to Israeli officials over how to consolidate the ceasefire and pave the way for negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.

Her efforts were met with an Israeli escalation with the warnings to southern towns in the Tyre and Nabatieh districts.

Israel has repeatedly said that its operations are solely aimed against Hezbollah, not the Lebanese state. Lebanese sources, however, view the attacks as an attempt to increase pressure against the state. The warnings are leading to the displacement of tens of thousands of people, which is increasing pressure on the state that views direct negotiations with Israel as a solution to the problem.

The “Shiite duo” of Hezbollah and its ally, Amal, are opposed to the talks.

Aoun has through his various diplomatic contacts been urging Israel to commit to the ceasefire that US President Donald Trump extended for another three weeks. Aoun has also been calling for Israel to release Lebanese detainees and withdraw from Lebanese territories.

He met on Thursday with a delegation from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. He stressed to it the need for Israel to respect international laws and agreements and cease attacks against civilians, medics, and civil defense, humanitarian, health and relief teams.

Berri and Hezbollah

Meanwhile, differences between Aoun and parliament Speaker and Amal movement leader Nabih Berri over direct negotiations with Israel came to the open on Wednesday.

Telecommunications Minister Charles al-Hage said: “There are no disputes between them over the end goals. The main goals are ending the destruction and killing.”

“Not a single Lebanese person trusts Israel, and so, we need international guarantees, especially ones from the US and Arab countries, led by Saudi Arabia, to ensure that the ceasefire will be respected and consolidated,” he added.

In a statement on Labor Day, which falls on May 1, Berri called on the Lebanese “state, and all of its authorities, and the international community, and its rights and justice organizations, to make Israel immediately cease its attacks.” He also called for an international probe into Israel’s crimes in Lebanon.

Hezbollah, meanwhile, continued its attacks against Aoun over direct negotiations with Israel.

Member of the Iran-backed party’s Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Ali Fayyad said the president’s stance is “increasingly alarming because he is promoting American demands, rather than distancing himself from them.”

“Most dangerous is that he is agreeing to them without making a clear objection to allowing Israel freedom of movement even though he has been demanding a ceasefire,” he said in remarks to local radio.

How can a date for the next round of talks be scheduled amid the ongoing Israeli attacks and escalation? he wondered.

He noted that there appears to be “clear confusion in the official Lebanese stance and a lack of transparency. Most dangerous of all is the undisclosed American-Israeli side agreement that has given Israel the green light to act freely against potential threats. Aoun’s statements imply that he has agreed to this.”

Arab World

Syrian Authorities Hold Onto Campaign to Root Out Illegal Enrichment

The head of Syria's committee for combating illicit enrichment, Basel Al-Suwaidan (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The head of Syria's committee for combating illicit enrichment, Basel Al-Suwaidan (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Syrian Authorities Hold Onto Campaign to Root Out Illegal Enrichment

The head of Syria's committee for combating illicit enrichment, Basel Al-Suwaidan (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The head of Syria's committee for combating illicit enrichment, Basel Al-Suwaidan (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The head of Syria's committee for combating illicit enrichment, Basel Al-Suwaidan, has revealed that settlements reached with prominent businessmen accused of ties with former president Bashar Al-Assad had returned to the state treasury as assets belonging to the Syrian people.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Suwaidan said that the committee had received hundreds of voluntary disclosure requests, leading to many settlements, while others were rejected for not meeting the criteria.

"How does the committee define the limits of illicit gains?" Asharq Al-Awsat asked him. He explained that illicit enrichment is "a legal concept inherently tied to individuals, defined as any unjustified increase in financial wealth that is disproportionate to the owner's known legitimate resources, and for which they are unable to provide a legal and convincing explanation of its source."

This includes companies, real estate and stocks.

Al-Suwaidan said that despite the committee's work being linked to individuals, it adopts objective criteria for selecting cases. He stressed that accountability is based on financial evidence, not on position or status.

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa issued Presidential Decree No. 13 on May 4, 2025, concerning the formation of the committee to protect public funds, combat illicit gains in all its forms, and recover illegal funds.

On December 28, 2025, the committee launched the voluntary disclosure program for a period of six months, along with its official website, which includes services for reporting, voluntary disclosure, inquiries, and communication with the committee.

Al-Suwaidan clarified that the program represents one of the main tools adopted by the committee within its internal operating system, and it is an integral part of legal work, not an exceptional measure.

The program is defined as "a mechanism that allows individuals whose funds are linked to suspicions of illicit gains to voluntarily disclose them, subjecting them to comprehensive financial and legal scrutiny, leading to an organized settlement through which funds or assets to be recovered for the state are determined."

He noted that the adoption of this mechanism was based on UN recommendations.

According to Al-Suwaidan, past experiences have shown that relying exclusively on traditional judicial paths can be time-consuming, leading to asset freezes or loss, whereas voluntary disclosure allows for faster and more efficient recovery.

Syrian authorities reached in mid-April a settlement with Wassim Qattan and his brothers, as well as Naim Al-Jarrah, as part of the voluntary disclosure requests submitted to the committee.

A settlement has also been reached with businessman Samer Al-Foz. Another settlement involved businessman Tarif Al-Akhras, in line with adopted official procedures.

However, Mohammad Hamsho, who was a prominent businessman accused of ties to Assad's rule and of profiting from the country's war, was the first to reach a formal settlement with the Syrian authorities.

Al-Suwaidan stressed, however, that the voluntary disclosure program does not exonerate suspects. It rather works in parallel with the judicial path.

He explained to Asharq Al-Awsat that the primary goal is to reduce the time taken by litigation procedures and alleviate the burden on the Syrian judiciary.

Al-Suwaidan revealed that the number of cases undergoing examination is estimated in the thousands.