The Syria offensive

Notebook #11

This is a regular feature for paid subscribers, in which I discuss things I’ve been reading, watching and thinking about.

It’s usually a few different items, but this week it’s just my thoughts on the developments in Syria. We’ll be back with the podcast and more essays this week.

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The Syria offensive

I don’t really follow the situation in Syria very closely these days. I spend most my time reading and writing about political ideas, rather than tracking day-to-day developments (for that, I recommend

Alexander McKeever

’s substack)

This week brought some big news. Turkish-backed forces have broken the long stalemate this week and took Aleppo. This is not surprising. I always thought that the idea of Turkey making a deal with Assad and withdrawing from the place was absurd. I don’t consider the increasing Turkish control of Syrian territory and populations to be a temporary phenomenon. It is part of a wider expansion of Turkish sovereignty across the region.