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Türkiye Warns of Plans to Divide Syria into Four Mini-States

Two fighters from Turkish-backed factions in southern Manbij, Syria (AFP)
Two fighters from Turkish-backed factions in southern Manbij, Syria (AFP)
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Türkiye Warns of Plans to Divide Syria into Four Mini-States

Two fighters from Turkish-backed factions in southern Manbij, Syria (AFP)
Two fighters from Turkish-backed factions in southern Manbij, Syria (AFP)

Concerns are mounting in Türkiye over potential scenarios in Syria following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
The warnings come as clashes persist between Turkish-backed factions and the US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in eastern Aleppo, alongside ongoing Turkish airstrikes targeting SDF positions east of the Euphrates.
Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and ally of Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the People’s Alliance, has sounded the alarm over plans being drawn up for Syria ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
Bahçeli cautioned that developments in Syria could escalate quickly, emphasizing the risks of instability in the region as Türkiye presses its campaign against Kurdish-led forces it considers a threat.
Fatih Erbakan, leader of the New Welfare Party, has voiced concerns over developments in Syria, warning of a potential partition of the war-torn country into four separate states.
Erbakan speculated that plans might be underway to establish an autonomous region along Türkiye’s border for the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its military arm, the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the largest components of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Such a move, he cautioned, would pose a significant security challenge for Türkiye, which views the PYD and YPG as extensions of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Erbakan raised alarms over reports of negotiations to partition Syria into four autonomous regions.
In a televised interview, Erbakan cited reports in US, Israeli, and French media suggesting efforts to divide Syria and establish autonomous zones, including one for Kurdish groups along Türkiye’s border.
Erbakan warned that after the destabilization of Iraq and Syria, Iran and Türkiye could be next, urging Ankara to act decisively to prevent Syria’s division and preserve its territorial integrity.

 

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Arab World

Arab League Secretary-General: Palestinian Cause True Test of International Order’s Credibility

Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Arab League Secretary-General: Palestinian Cause True Test of International Order’s Credibility

Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy affirmed that the Palestinian cause is a true test of the credibility of the international order, in light of persistent double standards and Israeli violations of international law, stressing the need to end the occupation and establish an independent Palestinian state.

He also underscored the importance of preserving the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Arab states and supporting their national institutions as a fundamental pillar of security and stability, SPA reported.

Fahmy made the remarks during an open dialogue at the third edition of the Cairo Forum, where he reviewed the main challenges facing the Arab region, explored ways to strengthen security and stability, and discussed the role of joint Arab action in responding to regional and global shifts.

He explained that Arab security extends beyond military considerations to include political, economic, social, and developmental dimensions. He highlighted the crises and instability affecting Syria, Sudan, Lebanon, Yemen, and the Arab Gulf region, noting that addressing them requires looking beyond their immediate manifestations to tackle their root causes, foremost among them weak institutions and the accumulation of political, economic, and social challenges.

Fahmy stressed the need to move from merely managing the repercussions of crises to adopting proactive approaches that prevent their recurrence. He also emphasized strengthening cooperation and integration among Arab states, establishing balanced relations with neighboring countries based on respect for sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs, and engaging with the wider world on the basis of parity and shared interests.

Arab World

Jordan's King Says 'No Security or Stability' in Region Without Palestinian Homeland

Jordanian Monarch King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein during today's speech (Petra)
Jordanian Monarch King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein during today's speech (Petra)
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Jordan's King Says 'No Security or Stability' in Region Without Palestinian Homeland

Jordanian Monarch King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein during today's speech (Petra)
Jordanian Monarch King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein during today's speech (Petra)

Jordan's King Abdullah II on Monday said there would be no security in the Middle East region until the Palestinians' right to a homeland is fulfilled. 

"We reiterate, time and again, that there can be no security or stability in our region without upholding the Palestinian people's right to their homeland," he said at the opening of Jordan's parliament. 

Jordan neighbors Israel and the occupied West Bank. It has long advocated for a two-state solution, and signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994. 

"Despite international calls for an end to Israel's violations, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza continues, as do the relentless attacks in the West Bank and Jerusalem, whilst Israel's expansionist ambitions remain the greatest threat to the region's future and hopes," the king said. 

The speech came days after Israel held a legislative election which saw Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party win the most votes, but still fall short of a majority. 

It also follows threats of a renewed conflict in the wider region, with Iran vowing to hit back should the United States and Israel renew strikes against the Iranian republic. 

 

Arab World

Israel Army Withdraws After Hebron Operation, Says Military Official

A Palestinian man inspects the damage to his home in the Deir Baha area of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on November 2, 2026, after returning following his displacement in an Israeli military operation last week. (AFP)
A Palestinian man inspects the damage to his home in the Deir Baha area of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on November 2, 2026, after returning following his displacement in an Israeli military operation last week. (AFP)
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Israel Army Withdraws After Hebron Operation, Says Military Official

A Palestinian man inspects the damage to his home in the Deir Baha area of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on November 2, 2026, after returning following his displacement in an Israeli military operation last week. (AFP)
A Palestinian man inspects the damage to his home in the Deir Baha area of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on November 2, 2026, after returning following his displacement in an Israeli military operation last week. (AFP)

The Israeli army has pulled back following an operation in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, launched in the wake of an attack that killed two soldiers in late October, a military official said Monday.

The operation had emptied a neighborhood in the West Bank's largest city where the two gunmen had lived. AFP journalists witnessed residents returning to their homes on Monday after the military left.

"This morning, following the completion of all operational activities, the soldiers withdrew from the area of operation in Hebron. Counterterrorism activities throughout Judea and Samaria continue," the official said, using the biblical name for the Palestinian territory.

On October 23, days ahead of close-fought Israeli elections, two Palestinian gunmen attacked an army checkpoint near Hebron, killing two soldiers and prompting promises of a major retaliatory operation from senior officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

By the following morning, the military had cleared out the residents of the assailants' neighborhood, displacing more than 3,000 people, according to the municipality.

The military official said that "soldiers conducted thorough searches of multiple locations, detained and questioned suspects, and located and confiscated four weapons, several vests, and additional military equipment".

They also demolished the two attackers' homes and "sealed an underground space located next to" one of them.

Muhannad al-Tamimi, whose house was occupied by soldiers since the operation began, told AFP his family came back to a trashed apartment with furniture and clothing strewn on the floors, mattresses overturned and a child's bicycle broken.