For a long time there was still some skepticism whether Turkey was providing military and other support to members of the Islamic State. As we reported last week, that skepticism was promptly eliminated following the release of transcripts of phone calls that took place between Turkish military officers and Mustafa Demir, the ISIS commander in charge of the Syria-Turkey border.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Turkey has a right to carry out military operations in any country hosting terrorists, even terrorists that Turkey actively supports. “Turkey has every right to conduct operations in Syria and the places where terror organizations are nested with regards to the struggle against the threats that Turkey faces,” Erdogan told the Hurriyet newspaper.
The recent carnage in Ankara comes at a good time for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan has been demanding that the United States and other NATO allies support him in his war against the Kurds of Syria, who are, incidentally, regarded as allies by Washington in the war against ISIS. The Turks have been bombarding Kurdish positions and staging special ops raids, warning the Kurds against the dangers of becoming too successful in their drive to occupy territory vacated by a retreating ISIS.
If you want our take - and let’s face it, you must because that’s why you’re here - we wouldn’t put too much faith in today’s announced Syrian “ceasefire” agreement.
Although the deal calls for the cessation of hostilities as of Saturday at midnight, you shouldn’t expect the Russians and the Iranians to halt their advance on Aleppo and likewise, you shouldn’t expect Turkey to stop shelling the Azaz corridor in a largely transparent effort to keep the supply lines to the rebels open.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erodgan has said that Turkey has the right to invade Syria in order protect the Turkish state against terrorism. Speaking with the Hurriyet newspaper the Turkish leader said that he won’t rule out the possibility of invading other countries in the Middle East that harbour terrorists. RT.com reports: “Turkey has every right to conduct operations in Syria and the places where terror organizations are nested with regards to the struggle against the threats that Turkey faces,” Erdogan was cited as saying by the Hurriyet newspaper.