On 12 February 2026, ELIAMEP organized the fourth consecutive “Crises in Focus” online seminar, focusing on Syria in light of the recently signed agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Dr Amy Austin Holmes, author of Statelet of Survivors: The Making of a Semi-Autonomous Region in Northeast Syria and professor at the Bush School of Government and Public Service in Washington, D.C. (TAMU), in dialogue with Ioannis N. Grigoriadis, Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Turkey Programme at ELIAMEP.The discussion was followed by an interactive session with the online audience, covering key issues such as the historical factors contributing to Syria’s fragmentation, the current state of the country and the implications of it on minorities, Turkey’s role in the region, as well as the strategic involvement of great powers particularly the United States and Russia in the region. Moreover, it addressed challenges that may affect Syria’s future political development.
Previous seminars in the series have focused on the crises in Iran, 19 January 2026, Venezuela, 22 January 2026 and the Arctic, 28 January 2026.
Crises in Focus is a new series of one-hour online conversations shedding light on some of today’s most pressing global crises. Featuring leading international experts, each session focuses on a specific case study and explores its political, social, and geopolitical implications.
The discussions follow an “in conversation” format, bringing together an external expert and a member of ELIAMEP in a dynamic and engaging dialogue.