Hetav Rojan
@hetavrojan.eu
Lecturer of Int’nat’l Security at University College Copenhagen. Guest analyst @diis.dk.
• Tracking how armed groups govern & manage political violence.
• Training practitioners in the security sector.
Priors: @ECFR.eu, Deloitte
• Tracking how armed groups govern & manage political violence.
• Training practitioners in the security sector.
Priors: @ECFR.eu, Deloitte
Pinned
Hetav Rojan
@hetavrojan.eu
· Aug 28
My report "Syria in Transition" is live.
This is a field guide to Syria 2.0. It maps how domestic and external actors are asserting control in competing power centres.
Made possible by @monakanwalsheikh.bsky.social, our team at @diis.dk & the peer reviewers. Thank you.
→ www.diis.dk/en/research/...
This is a field guide to Syria 2.0. It maps how domestic and external actors are asserting control in competing power centres.
Made possible by @monakanwalsheikh.bsky.social, our team at @diis.dk & the peer reviewers. Thank you.
→ www.diis.dk/en/research/...
Reposted by Hetav Rojan
Turkish survey results on espionage charges against jailed Istanbul opposition mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu:
- Of all respondents across party lines 70% believe he is innocent
- Fewer than third of AKP voters believe he's guilty of espionage, while 56% say they're undecided
medyascope.tv/2025/11/04/i...
- Of all respondents across party lines 70% believe he is innocent
- Fewer than third of AKP voters believe he's guilty of espionage, while 56% say they're undecided
medyascope.tv/2025/11/04/i...
İmamoğlu'nun casusluk yaptığına AKP seçmeninin sadece yüzde 28'i inanıyor - Medyascope
CHP MYK'da, Ekrem İmamoğlu'na yöneltilen casusluk suçlamasının sorulduğu güncel anket verileri paylaşıldı. Ankete katılanların yüzde 70'i İmamoğlu'nun casusluk yaptığına inanmazken, AKP seçmenleri ara...
medyascope.tv
November 5, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Turkish survey results on espionage charges against jailed Istanbul opposition mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu:
- Of all respondents across party lines 70% believe he is innocent
- Fewer than third of AKP voters believe he's guilty of espionage, while 56% say they're undecided
medyascope.tv/2025/11/04/i...
- Of all respondents across party lines 70% believe he is innocent
- Fewer than third of AKP voters believe he's guilty of espionage, while 56% say they're undecided
medyascope.tv/2025/11/04/i...
Reposted by Hetav Rojan
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited Helsinki today, said his country wants a renewed push towards EU membership. At presser with Finnish counterpart Elina Valtonen, both underlined importance of security cooperation (as agreed in a memorandum in June) 👇🏼 www.youtube.com/live/ov8AhOP...
Press Conference: FM Elina Valtonen and FM Hakan Fidan
YouTube video by Suomen ulkoministeriö
www.youtube.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited Helsinki today, said his country wants a renewed push towards EU membership. At presser with Finnish counterpart Elina Valtonen, both underlined importance of security cooperation (as agreed in a memorandum in June) 👇🏼 www.youtube.com/live/ov8AhOP...
Reposted by Hetav Rojan
The next time, I am asked what people can do with a degree in African Studies, I can finally say 'they can become mayor of New York.'
November 5, 2025 at 12:42 PM
The next time, I am asked what people can do with a degree in African Studies, I can finally say 'they can become mayor of New York.'
Reposted by Hetav Rojan
Just published. A Turkish-language history of the Soviet Union, written with @onurisci.bsky.social. Somewhat in the way that Dan Diner asked in Cataclysms how 20th-century history might be told looking out from Odesa, we approach Soviet history with Turkish connections/comparisons in mind.
October 17, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Just published. A Turkish-language history of the Soviet Union, written with @onurisci.bsky.social. Somewhat in the way that Dan Diner asked in Cataclysms how 20th-century history might be told looking out from Odesa, we approach Soviet history with Turkish connections/comparisons in mind.
Two Swedish citizens (18 & 20yo) charged with terrorism for allegedly throwing grenades at Israeli embassy in Copenhagen, which exploded near the building. First trial in recent DK history for an executed terror attack, rather than just a plot or attempt.
www.dr.dk/nyheder/sene...
www.dr.dk/nyheder/sene...
To svenskere tiltalt for terror: Kastede håndgranater mod Israels ambassade
Det er første gang i nyere tid, at der nu kommer en retssag, hvor de tiltalte er anklaget for en terrorhandling, som også er udført.
www.dr.dk
October 29, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Two Swedish citizens (18 & 20yo) charged with terrorism for allegedly throwing grenades at Israeli embassy in Copenhagen, which exploded near the building. First trial in recent DK history for an executed terror attack, rather than just a plot or attempt.
www.dr.dk/nyheder/sene...
www.dr.dk/nyheder/sene...
Late to this, but UK removes HTS from the list of proscribed terrorist organisations to enable "closer engagement with the new Syrian government."
www.gov.uk/government/n...
www.gov.uk/government/n...
UK removes Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham from terrorist organisation list
An order has been laid in Parliament to deproscribe Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), enabling closer engagement with the new Syrian government.
www.gov.uk
October 29, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Late to this, but UK removes HTS from the list of proscribed terrorist organisations to enable "closer engagement with the new Syrian government."
www.gov.uk/government/n...
www.gov.uk/government/n...
Reposted by Hetav Rojan
San Francisco-based Zignal Labs is aiding ICE’s crackdown on free speech.
Its AI surveillance program monitors 8 billion social media posts a day. Clients include the Israeli military and the Pentagon.
Surveillance as a service, authoritarianism as a business model.
truthout.org/articles/ice...
Its AI surveillance program monitors 8 billion social media posts a day. Clients include the Israeli military and the Pentagon.
Surveillance as a service, authoritarianism as a business model.
truthout.org/articles/ice...
ICE Just Spent Millions on a Social Media Surveillance AI Program
The digital surveillance software, known as Zignal Labs, is also used by the Israeli military and the Pentagon.
truthout.org
October 28, 2025 at 5:45 PM
San Francisco-based Zignal Labs is aiding ICE’s crackdown on free speech.
Its AI surveillance program monitors 8 billion social media posts a day. Clients include the Israeli military and the Pentagon.
Surveillance as a service, authoritarianism as a business model.
truthout.org/articles/ice...
Its AI surveillance program monitors 8 billion social media posts a day. Clients include the Israeli military and the Pentagon.
Surveillance as a service, authoritarianism as a business model.
truthout.org/articles/ice...
»Turkey plans to supply military equipment to Syria, including armored cars, drones, and air-defense systems, to be deployed in northern Syria.«
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Turkey Plans to Supply Arms to Syria, Seeks Wider Deal on Kurds
www.bloomberg.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:08 PM
»Turkey plans to supply military equipment to Syria, including armored cars, drones, and air-defense systems, to be deployed in northern Syria.«
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
»The Times verified that government security forces carried out at least one of the executions we documented. In two other executions, witnesses recounted that at least some of the fighters identified themselves as members of government security forces.«
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/w...
Firing Squads and Forced Death Leaps: A Tipping Point in Syria
Ten months after rebels toppled the long-entrenched Assad regime, little-checked bloodshed has led many Syrians to abandon hope that the years of brutality may be over.
www.nytimes.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:03 PM
»The Times verified that government security forces carried out at least one of the executions we documented. In two other executions, witnesses recounted that at least some of the fighters identified themselves as members of government security forces.«
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/w...
Reposted by Hetav Rojan
When Bashar al-Assad’s regime collapsed in Syria, many of the officials who enabled and enforced his brutal regime disappeared. Our reporting uncovers who they are, what they did and where they fled. nyti.ms/3J1W5Cs
The Vanishing Act: How Assad’s Top Henchmen Fled Syria, and Justice
www.nytimes.com
October 16, 2025 at 12:06 PM
When Bashar al-Assad’s regime collapsed in Syria, many of the officials who enabled and enforced his brutal regime disappeared. Our reporting uncovers who they are, what they did and where they fled. nyti.ms/3J1W5Cs
Reposted by Hetav Rojan
A worrying observation from @slotkin.senate.gov: “We’ve never had an instance where there’s a secret list of what I understand to be dozens of new terrorist organizations that the American public and certainly the oversight committees don’t get to know.” www.nbcnews.com/politics/nat...
Members of Congress growing concerned over lack of information from administration about Venezuela strikes, sources say
Republicans and Democrats say the administration is failing to share basic information with Congress about the intelligence, rationale and goals of its war on drug trafficking.
www.nbcnews.com
October 16, 2025 at 7:04 PM
A worrying observation from @slotkin.senate.gov: “We’ve never had an instance where there’s a secret list of what I understand to be dozens of new terrorist organizations that the American public and certainly the oversight committees don’t get to know.” www.nbcnews.com/politics/nat...
Reposted by Hetav Rojan
The Syrian government and the main Kurdish-led force in the country’s northeast have agreed in principle on a plan to merge the U.S.-backed force as a cohesive group into the national army, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi told Hogir Abdo for @apnews.com
apnews.com/article/syri...
apnews.com/article/syri...
Syrian Kurdish forces reach agreement with Damascus to merge with national army, commander says
The Syrian government and the main Kurdish-led force in the country's northeast have agreed in principle to merge the U.S.-backed force into the national army.
apnews.com
October 16, 2025 at 7:44 PM
The Syrian government and the main Kurdish-led force in the country’s northeast have agreed in principle on a plan to merge the U.S.-backed force as a cohesive group into the national army, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi told Hogir Abdo for @apnews.com
apnews.com/article/syri...
apnews.com/article/syri...
»The authorities were jamming GPS signals in the city to make it harder for Israeli or American warplanes to locate potential targets. But that also made it near impossible for customers to hail his cab. Since June, his business was down 70 percent.«
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/w...
Spies, Burgers and Bombs: After a New War, Old Wounds Resurface in Tehran
www.nytimes.com
October 16, 2025 at 8:39 PM
»The authorities were jamming GPS signals in the city to make it harder for Israeli or American warplanes to locate potential targets. But that also made it near impossible for customers to hail his cab. Since June, his business was down 70 percent.«
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/w...
Reposted by Hetav Rojan
👉 Hvorfor er Trump lykkedes med en våbenhvile mellem Israel og Hamas netop nu?
👉 Hvordan har amerikanernes syn på Israel ændret sig de seneste år?
👉 Hvordan harmonerer Trumps fredsdiplomati i Mellemøsten med hans America First agenda?
Det talte jeg om i Deadline.
www.dr.dk/drtv/se/dead...
👉 Hvordan har amerikanernes syn på Israel ændret sig de seneste år?
👉 Hvordan harmonerer Trumps fredsdiplomati i Mellemøsten med hans America First agenda?
Det talte jeg om i Deadline.
www.dr.dk/drtv/se/dead...
October 15, 2025 at 7:10 AM
👉 Hvorfor er Trump lykkedes med en våbenhvile mellem Israel og Hamas netop nu?
👉 Hvordan har amerikanernes syn på Israel ændret sig de seneste år?
👉 Hvordan harmonerer Trumps fredsdiplomati i Mellemøsten med hans America First agenda?
Det talte jeg om i Deadline.
www.dr.dk/drtv/se/dead...
👉 Hvordan har amerikanernes syn på Israel ændret sig de seneste år?
👉 Hvordan harmonerer Trumps fredsdiplomati i Mellemøsten med hans America First agenda?
Det talte jeg om i Deadline.
www.dr.dk/drtv/se/dead...
Reposted by Hetav Rojan
I spent 3 weeks on a cargo ship in the Arctic, from Canada to Greenland. Our only company was blizzards, killer whales, thick fog and icebergs. Here is my story about how the West is lagging seriously behind Russia in the Arctic, and why it's so difficult to catch up
www.wsj.com/world/inside...
www.wsj.com/world/inside...
Inside the West’s Race to Defend the Arctic
Sailors scanned for icebergs on a nine-day journey to the U.S.’s northernmost military installation this summer—part of an effort to erode Russia’s vast advantage in the region.
www.wsj.com
October 12, 2025 at 11:11 AM
I spent 3 weeks on a cargo ship in the Arctic, from Canada to Greenland. Our only company was blizzards, killer whales, thick fog and icebergs. Here is my story about how the West is lagging seriously behind Russia in the Arctic, and why it's so difficult to catch up
www.wsj.com/world/inside...
www.wsj.com/world/inside...
Reposted by Hetav Rojan
This is the first time in my adult life that Israeli media mention end-of-conflict scenarios. Suddenly no more pundit nonsense about 'total victory'. There is worry about disarming hamas, enforcement, etc. I don't remember this level of optimism since i was a kid.
October 13, 2025 at 9:53 AM
This is the first time in my adult life that Israeli media mention end-of-conflict scenarios. Suddenly no more pundit nonsense about 'total victory'. There is worry about disarming hamas, enforcement, etc. I don't remember this level of optimism since i was a kid.
Reposted by Hetav Rojan
Efter søndagens valg i Syrien er en tredjedel af parlamentets medlemmer nu på plads. Valget har undervejs været præget af uvished, så Globalnyt har bedt adjunkt og Syrien-kender @hetavrojan.eu om at forklare, hvad den historiske valghandling betyder for landet. globalnyt.dk/adjunkt-om-v...
Adjunkt om valget i Syrien: Kritikere kalder det "intransparent og nær-nepotistisk" | Globalnyt
For første gang siden den tidligere diktator Bashar al-Assad blev væltet i december sidste år har der været valg i Syrien. Det var dog ingen traditionel fol ...
globalnyt.dk
October 9, 2025 at 7:21 AM
Efter søndagens valg i Syrien er en tredjedel af parlamentets medlemmer nu på plads. Valget har undervejs været præget af uvished, så Globalnyt har bedt adjunkt og Syrien-kender @hetavrojan.eu om at forklare, hvad den historiske valghandling betyder for landet. globalnyt.dk/adjunkt-om-v...
Reposted by Hetav Rojan
In valedictory @financialtimes.com interview, outgoing UN envoy Pedersen very critical on state of Syrian transition and Shara's management of process: www.ft.com/content/0af9...
Syria on ‘knife-edge’ in wake of sectarian clashes, warns UN envoy
Slow place of reform adds to pressure on Ahmed al-Sharaa’s fragile new government
www.ft.com
October 8, 2025 at 11:08 AM
In valedictory @financialtimes.com interview, outgoing UN envoy Pedersen very critical on state of Syrian transition and Shara's management of process: www.ft.com/content/0af9...
TL;DR
Most seats went to Sunni men.
Only 6 women and 10 minorities were elected nationwide.
apnews.com/article/syri...
Most seats went to Sunni men.
Only 6 women and 10 minorities were elected nationwide.
apnews.com/article/syri...
Minorities had hoped to break into Syria's new political order in the weekend vote but few succeeded
Syria's first parliamentary elections since the ouster of former President Bashar Assad have revealed deep divisions among the country's minority communities.
apnews.com
October 7, 2025 at 8:12 PM
TL;DR
Most seats went to Sunni men.
Only 6 women and 10 minorities were elected nationwide.
apnews.com/article/syri...
Most seats went to Sunni men.
Only 6 women and 10 minorities were elected nationwide.
apnews.com/article/syri...
Turkey extends airspace closure to flights to and from Sulaymaniyah Airport until January 6, 2026. The ban was initially imposed in April 2023.
www.basnews.com/en/babat/896...
www.basnews.com/en/babat/896...
www.basnews.com
October 7, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Turkey extends airspace closure to flights to and from Sulaymaniyah Airport until January 6, 2026. The ban was initially imposed in April 2023.
www.basnews.com/en/babat/896...
www.basnews.com/en/babat/896...
Reposted by Hetav Rojan
New paper out with the CoE exploring how and how quickly terrorists adopt new technologies. It identifies factors inhibiting or encouraging new tech adoption - with two case studies on virtual assets and drones - and analyses the impact of new tech on terrorism in Europe rm.coe.int/report-on-th...
rm.coe.int
October 7, 2025 at 1:16 PM
New paper out with the CoE exploring how and how quickly terrorists adopt new technologies. It identifies factors inhibiting or encouraging new tech adoption - with two case studies on virtual assets and drones - and analyses the impact of new tech on terrorism in Europe rm.coe.int/report-on-th...
Rich in detail: this report traces how July’s violence in Sweida pushed Druze factions toward seeing autonomy as a viable political option.
apnews.com/article/syri...
apnews.com/article/syri...
Druze seek Sweida autonomy and turn toward Israel, adding new twist to Syria's tensions
When Syrian government forces entered the minority Druze enclave of Sweida this summer, it backfired.
apnews.com
October 5, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Rich in detail: this report traces how July’s violence in Sweida pushed Druze factions toward seeing autonomy as a viable political option.
apnews.com/article/syri...
apnews.com/article/syri...
Rare primary-source look at Druze groups in Suwayda w/ Hijri endorsements. This interview with a National Guard constituent group offers valuable insight into local dynamics often missing from broader analyses.
www.aymennaltamimi.com/p/druze-fact...
www.aymennaltamimi.com/p/druze-fact...
Druze Factions in al-Suwayda' after the National Guard Merger: Interview with a Constituent Group
Since late August, virtually all Druze armed factions in the southern Syrian province of al-Suwayda’ have merged into the ‘National Guard’ initiative that is endorsed by Hikmat al-Hijri (one of the th...
www.aymennaltamimi.com
October 5, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Rare primary-source look at Druze groups in Suwayda w/ Hijri endorsements. This interview with a National Guard constituent group offers valuable insight into local dynamics often missing from broader analyses.
www.aymennaltamimi.com/p/druze-fact...
www.aymennaltamimi.com/p/druze-fact...
This is a well-sourced report on Turkey’s evolving Syria policy, drawing on Turkish-language material that’s often missing from English-language debates.
www.ispionline.it/en/publicati...
www.ispionline.it/en/publicati...
Turkey-Syria Relations: The Outcome of Long-Term Cooperation | ISPI
Turkey’s swift embrace of Syria’s new leadership has transformed Damascus from a security file into a partner in diplomacy, trade, and reconstruction, reshaping regional dynamics and testing internati...
www.ispionline.it
October 5, 2025 at 6:52 PM
This is a well-sourced report on Turkey’s evolving Syria policy, drawing on Turkish-language material that’s often missing from English-language debates.
www.ispionline.it/en/publicati...
www.ispionline.it/en/publicati...
As Syria holds its first election since Assad’s exit, Syrians must look to European courts for accountability.
www.reuters.com/world/middle...
www.reuters.com/world/middle...
German police arrest Syrian man suspected of crimes against humanity
German police arrested on Tuesday a Syrian man suspected of committing crimes against humanity, including killing and torturing, as a militia leader in 2011 in Aleppo, prosecutors said.
www.reuters.com
October 5, 2025 at 6:47 PM
As Syria holds its first election since Assad’s exit, Syrians must look to European courts for accountability.
www.reuters.com/world/middle...
www.reuters.com/world/middle...