Bashar Assad

Shoppers fill the old city market in Damascus, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025

Although Syrian President Bashar Assad was toppled last month in a lightning insurgency, Syria's dire economic conditions that protesters decried have not changed.

Murhaf Abu Qasra, the defense minister of Syria's new administration, said on Wednesday that the administration's relations with Türkiye will be "excellent."

The French judiciary has issued an arrest warrant for ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad on charges of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity, an official said Tuesday.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced the decision on his X account, emphasizing the need for justice.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Jan. 5 emphasized Türkiye's long-standing commitment to stabilizing Syria and supporting its recovery.

During his address at the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) 8th Provincial Congress, Fidan outlined Türkiye's strategic approach to Syria, describing it as a meticulous process aimed at restoring peace and stability.


An aerial view shows rebel fighters clearing mines in a field in the Syrian town of Saraqib, on Dec. 21, 2024.

Syria's new authorities announced Tuesday that they had reached an agreement with the country's rebel groups on their dissolution and integration into the regular defence forces.

This photo shows a car belonging to the US delegation parked outside a hotel in Damascus on Dec. 20, 2024

The first U.S. diplomats to visit Syria since President Bashar Assad's ouster earlier this month are in Damascus on Dec. 20 to hold talks with the country's new leaders and seek information on the whereabouts of missing American journalist Austin Tice.

ALEPPO - Shortly before the first domestic flight since Bashar Assad's fall landed at Aleppo International Airport late Wednesday morning, the final preparations were still being made. Workers rushed to remove about a dozen empty ammunition boxes, gas masks and helmets from a grassy patch next to the runway.

The moment he arrived home to Syria from Turkey, Ahmed al-Kassem held his sister in a tight embrace, tears streaming down their faces. They hadn't seen each other in more than a decade and now were reunited only days after the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The Pentagon has described the situation in Syria as "fragile" while confirming that discussions with Türkiye are ongoing, particularly regarding U.S. support for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is led by the PKK/YPG terrorists.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Tuesday discussed bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues over the phone, according to a statement by the Turkish Communications Directorate.

During the call, Erdoğan stressed that Syria is entering a new period where its citizens will determine the country's future.