The scenes of elation following Monday night's declaration came in sharp contrast to the grim scenes in coastal communities wracked by days of clashes.

Abdi, by contrast, came to leadership via associations with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), an organization that Turkey and many Western countries consider a terrorist group.Therefore, depending on how one views these organizations,

Scores of people gathered in Damascus on Sunday to protest against recent violence in Syria’s coastal provinces, denouncing attacks on security forces and civilians. Clashes between government troops and armed groups in Latakia and Tartous last week have killed over 1,