Featured reading

Impact investing can help rebuild an inclusive, resilient Turkey after the earthquakes

New Atlanticist Dec 8, 2024

Experts react: Rebels have toppled the Assad regime. What’s next for Syria, the Middle East, and the world?

By Atlantic Council experts

Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has been ousted as opposition forces quickly took the Syrian capital. Atlantic Council experts share their insights on the developments.
Conflict Corruption
Impact investing can help rebuild an inclusive, resilient Turkey after the earthquakes

Fast Thinking Dec 8, 2024

Assad has fallen. Now what?

By Atlantic Council

The power shift in Syria will reverberate across the Middle East and the world. Our experts explain what’s next.
Conflict Iran
Impact investing can help rebuild an inclusive, resilient Turkey after the earthquakes

New Atlanticist Dec 9, 2024

Dispatch from Doha: Assad’s fall, Iran’s weakness, and the impact of unintended consequences

By Jonathan Panikoff

In just six months, Iran has slid from a position of strength to perhaps the weakest it has been since 1979.
Conflict Iran
Impact investing can help rebuild an inclusive, resilient Turkey after the earthquakes

MENASource Dec 10, 2024

Where Syria goes next after the fall of Assad

By Frederic C. Hof

With the Assad family agone, Syria, at long last, has a chance to achieve the kind of political transition envisioned by the 2012 Geneva Final Communique and UNSCR 2254.
Conflict Middle East
Impact investing can help rebuild an inclusive, resilient Turkey after the earthquakes

New Atlanticist Dec 10, 2024

A blueprint for bringing about a new Syria

By Kirsten Fontenrose

For a reconstruction strategy in Syria to be effective, all parties must adopt a unified approach that is clear-eyed about the country’s new leaders.
Crisis Management International Organizations

Explore our Syria work

Syria Project

Our work on Syria sheds light on the ongoing struggle of Syrians to fulfill their desire for democratic self-governance as the United States and the international community grapple with the aftermath of a devastating civil war, millions of refugees across the Middle East and Europe, and ongoing security and political challenges spilling over Syria’s borders.

Group of world leaders sitting around table set up.

Syria Strategy Project

The Atlantic Council, Middle East Institute, and European Institute of Peace collaborate with subject matter experts and policymakers in the US, Europe, and the Middle East to develop a holistic strategy to sustainably forge a pathway to resolving Syria’s crisis.

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Featured experts

Leadership

Former fellow

Qutaiba Idlbi

Former Resident Senior Fellow, Syria

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Economic Sanctions Entrepreneurship

Fellows

Fellow

Michel Duclos

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Conflict Crisis Management

Fellow

Arwa Damon

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Ömer Özkizilcik

Nonresident Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic English

Fellow

Sinan Hatahet

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Economic Sanctions

Former fellow

Hind Kabawat

Former Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Diana Rayes 

Nonresident Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

Past events

Event Recap

Oct 30, 2023

Addressing the captagon crisis in MENA: Strategies & Challenges

By Diane Mohamed and Rachel Friedman

The Syria Program hosted a panel discussion taking stock of current captagon landscape in Syria and captagon’s place within the global illicit supply chain.

Corruption Crisis Management
Public Event Thu, September 28, 2023 • 12:20 pm ET

Addressing the captagon crisis in MENA: Strategies & challenges
Civil Society Corruption Economy & Business Freedom and Prosperity
Public Event Wed, July 19, 2023 • 9:00 am ET

How can the United States counter normalization with Assad in the Middle East
Civil Society Human Rights International Organizations Middle East
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Learn more about the Middle East Programs

Middle East Programs

Working with our allies and partners in Europe and the wider Middle East to protect US interests, build peace and security, and unlock the human potential of the region.

EXPLORE THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL’S MIDDLE EAST PROGRAMS

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Sign up for the MENASource newsletter, highlighting pieces that follow democratic transitions and economic changes throughout the region.



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Content

TURKEYSource

Apr 12, 2023

Impact investing can help rebuild an inclusive, resilient Turkey after the earthquakes

By Selen Ucak

In the wake of Turkey's devastating earthquakes, investing in sustainable solutions for the displaced is crucial.

Entrepreneurship Inclusive Growth

In the News

Apr 11, 2023

Rich Outzen joins TRT World to discuss the PKK in Iraq
Iraq Security & Defense

In the News

Apr 10, 2023

Tahir in New Security Beat: Shaken to The Core: The Plight of Syrian Refugees After February’s Earthquake

By Atlantic Council

Resilience & Society Syria

MENASource

Apr 6, 2023

Arab states are normalizing with the Assad regime. This is the Middle East’s 1936 moment.

By Malik al-Abdeh and Lars Hauch

Now diplomatic relations are set to be restored between Syria and two behemoths of the Arab League: Egypt and Saudi Arabia, who are the holders of the all-important veto on Assad’s return to regional respectability.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

TURKEYSource

Mar 31, 2023

How the Turkish private sector is responding to the country’s devastating earthquake

By Atlantic Council IN TURKEY

Ebru Özdemir, chairperson of Limak Holdings, discusses how companies are responding to the earthquakes and how southeast Turkey should rebuild.

Resilience & Society Syria

MENASource

Mar 17, 2023

The earthquake in Syria: A crisis of nature and politics

By Samir Aita and Zedoun Alzoubi

Politics is the art of the possible, and the tragic earthquake has put Syria on the priority list again.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

TURKEYSource

Mar 17, 2023

Turkey and Syria’s devastating earthquakes send a reminder to the world: Don’t leave Syrians behind

By Pınar Dost

The disastrous earthquakes have brought the forgotten fate of Syrians and of Syria to the forefront of the US agenda in the region. They must not be forgotten again.

Conflict Migration

IranSource

Mar 13, 2023

Iran is still exporting oil to Hezbollah and the Assad regime. It’s using Syrian ports for transit.

By Navvar Saban

Despite sanctions imposed on both countries, Tehran has continued to use Syrian ports as the main gateway to supply oil to its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, and its ally, the Bashar al-Assad regime.

Iran Middle East

TURKEYSource

Feb 27, 2023

Experts react: What did Blinken accomplish in Turkey and Greece?

By Atlantic Council IN TURKEY

Atlantic Council experts give their perspective on US secretary of state's visit to Turkey and Greece in the aftermath of Turkey's devastating earthquake.

Crisis Management Europe & Eurasia

Transcript

Feb 15, 2023

Brett McGurk sets out the ‘Biden doctrine’ for the Middle East

By Atlantic Council

In a keynote speech at the Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Awards, the White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa explains the Biden administration's strategy in the region.

Iran Iraq
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Experts

Fellow

Amany Qaddour 

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Diana Rayes 

Nonresident Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Lukas Andriukaitis

Nonresident Fellow

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Disinformation Eastern Europe

Staff

Elise Baker

Senior Staff Lawyer, Strategic Litigation Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Civil Society Extremism

Fellow

Nicholas Blanford

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Conflict

Fellow

Alia Brahimi

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society
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