Abstract
This section reviews the complex and interlinked armed conflicts in Iraq,
Syria and Turkey. During 2019 the Assad government consolidated its hold
in Syria and achieved further strategic gains, while Iraq remained a fragile,
largely post-conflict state with weak institutions and growing protests. In
a sign of the growing normalization between the two countries, a border
crossing that had been closed since 2012 was reopened in September 2019.1
Iran remained an influential presence in both countries. In 2019 Turkey
continued its military operations in northern Iraq and carried out a new
incursion of northern Syria, after United States President Donald J. Trump
announced a US withdrawal. An agreement by Russia and Turkey to create a
‘safe zone’ in north-eastern Syria in October 2019 cemented Russia’s role as a
key power broker in Syria, moved Turkey further away from its Western orbit
and signified a diminished US influence in the region. Overall, the Kurds—
an ethnic group of about 30 million people with populations living in Iran,
Iraq, Syria and Turkey—were the main losers in a reordering of the regional
balance of power during the year (despite some political gains in Iraq)
Syria and Turkey. During 2019 the Assad government consolidated its hold
in Syria and achieved further strategic gains, while Iraq remained a fragile,
largely post-conflict state with weak institutions and growing protests. In
a sign of the growing normalization between the two countries, a border
crossing that had been closed since 2012 was reopened in September 2019.1
Iran remained an influential presence in both countries. In 2019 Turkey
continued its military operations in northern Iraq and carried out a new
incursion of northern Syria, after United States President Donald J. Trump
announced a US withdrawal. An agreement by Russia and Turkey to create a
‘safe zone’ in north-eastern Syria in October 2019 cemented Russia’s role as a
key power broker in Syria, moved Turkey further away from its Western orbit
and signified a diminished US influence in the region. Overall, the Kurds—
an ethnic group of about 30 million people with populations living in Iran,
Iraq, Syria and Turkey—were the main losers in a reordering of the regional
balance of power during the year (despite some political gains in Iraq)
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | SIPRI Yearbook 2020 |
| Subtitle of host publication | Armaments, Disarmament and International Security |
| Place of Publication | Oxford |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (OUP) |
| Chapter | 6 |
| Pages | 137-151 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Edition | 51 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780198869207 |
| Publication status | Published - 14 Sept 2020 |
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Themes
- Peace and Conflict
