The gambit could give the Turkish president a chance to extend his power, while also calming a conflict that threatens to undermine the new Syrian government.

Turkey’s ruling AKP views the fall of Assad in Syria as an opportunity to project power across the region. But the conflicting interests of the Gulf monarchies, Israel, and the US will make attempts by any one power to exert influence over Syria fraught.

Between the ambitions of the country’s leadership and those of Turkey and Israel, the post-al-Assad era already presents daunting challenges

Militants from the Kurdistan Workers' Party have declared a ceasefire, in what may represent a significant political breakthrough for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.