Turkey refuses to join US-led offensive on ISIS-held Raqqa if Kurds involved

[Muhammed45]

Turkey refuses to join US-led offensive on ISIS-held Raqqa if Kurds involved
Published time: 23 Mar, 2017 22:57Edited time: 23 Mar, 2017 23:23
Get short URL

© Rodi Said / Reuters
#ISIS in #Raqqahttps://t.co/VFtKVVusnxpic.twitter.com/KCcKs1MGSa

— RT America (@RT_America) March 22, 2017
"Turkey will also support such an operation... But if you are saying ‘We will bring in the PYD [Kurdish Democratic Union Party] while taking Daesh [IS] away,' Turkey will never allow it. We will not be involved in such an operation," Kurtulmus told the Anadolu news agency.

Saying that the anti-terrorist operation in Syria is a question of both Turkey's border protection and national security, Kurtulmus added that the issue of the Kurds' participation had been discussed with both the US and Russia.

"If peace is not established in Syria, there will be no regional peace. And if there is no regional peace, there will be no global peace," the official warned.

Read more
While dozens of countries talk about fighting ISIS, Russia is actually doing it – Kremlin
Turkey views the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its militant wing, YPG, which has been a key force fighting Islamic State militants in northern Syria, as linked to the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which operates in Turkey and Iraq. Ankara considers the PKK a terrorist organization and blames it for being behind the Kurdish insurgency in eastern Turkish regions. The US has designated PKK as a terrorist group, while supporting the YPG in Syria. Russia considers neither of the groups to be terrorist.

The Pentagon on Wednesday confirmed that US aircraft airlifted some fighters from Syrian Democratic Forces, a multinational Kurdish-dominated group, in a bid to retake the Tabqa Dam from Islamic State. US forces also provided fire support.

Earlier Wednesday, US Senator John McCain, who heads the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that the Kurdish issue was an "enormous challenge" for Washington in regard to its relations with Ankara.

Saying that the Trump administration is weighing the issue of providing the Kurdish fighters with heavy arms for the anti-IS offensive, the American official admitted the US faces "tough decisions," and should be careful not to cross its NATO ally.

"The conundrum is that if you don't use the Kurds, [the battle against IS] takes a lot longer... But if you do, you have an enormous challenge as far as relations with Turkey are concerned, including things like the use of Incirlik [military base]," McCain told reporters as cited by AFP. The Turkish air base of Incirlik is heavily used by NATO and the US-led coalition to fight Islamic State in the region.

Washington has been long involved in discussions with Ankara on how they "might contribute to the liberation of the city" of Raqqa, but apparently no agreement has yet been reached.

"We haven't come to an agreement about what that role will be or if there will be one, but we talk to Turkey through military channels and I believe at diplomatic levels every day. So, we'll have to let that continue to be worked out," a US Department of Defense spokesperson told the media.

 

[coffee_cup]

Well it shows whose turkey is in alliance with...

With its national interests?

PKK is a terrorist organization involved in so many terrorist strikes in Turkey, why should Turkey work with these terrorists or their sponsors?

 

[T-Rex]

Well it shows whose turkey is in alliance with...

It shows that Turkey is not ready to accept terrorists fighting terrorists!

 

[xenon54 out]

Turkey funds and supports ISIS. Thats a simple fact.

Italy and other european nations want end ISIS. We do it with Turkey or without them.

In the end its an easy calculation. The turkish army appears to be too weak and incapable to fight ISIS. Italy has funded kurdish peshmerga fighters with weapons and training against ISIS.

http://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/...taly-continues-military-support-to-Peshmerga-


And they have great results.

Turkey actually fought isis and liberated cities and villages from them.

Italy did what? Yeah exactly nothing.... keep your chest thumping for yourself its ridiculous.

 

[T-Rex]

Turkey funds and supports ISIS. Thats a simple fact.

Your terrorist wing disguised as intelligence branch such as CIA does that and your master Trump admits it.

 

[T-Rex]

The CIA is from the USA. Our secret service is called AISE.

Does CIA work for Turkey or your master in the White House?

 

[coffee_cup]

Turkey funds and supports ISIS. Thats a simple fact.

Wrong.

CIA / MI6 have created and funded ISIS to fight against Asad. Just like they created "Mujahideen" (read Al-Qaeda).

You can not blame Turkey for the shyt created by two of the most notorius terrorist-creating organizations i.e. CIA / MI6.

 

[coffee_cup]

I can blame whoever i want. Thats caleld "freedom of speech". .

Yes mostly irrational people like Mussolini fanboys do that in their blind hatred and call it "freedom of speech".

Blame everyone around for own failures (or those of allies).

Sometimes it is Putin, sometimes it is China, sometimes it is Erdogan to be used as escape goat.

 

[coffee_cup]

Italy has great relations with Putin and China. Never with Turkey.

Yeah sure, I know what kind of "great relations" you (Mussolini fanboy) have with Putin.

I still remember your posts for wishing to annhilate Russia with all those mass destruction weapons, so keep this shyt to yourself.

World is not as stupid as you believe them to be.

 

[xenon54 out]

Turkey lost several of the best tanks in the world the Leopard II. Why? Because turkish soldiers run away when ISIS fighters attacked them with guns.

Those leaopards are outdated and stand no chance agains modern ATGM's it was not simple guns, stop talking if you have no clue about a subject.

You can try to make fun of Turkish army but ES its still a lot more than Italian army has done since WWII...

 

[ValerioAurelius]

Those leaopards are outdated and stand no chance agains modern ATGM's it was not simple guns, stop talking if you have no clue about a subject.

You can try to make fun of Turkish army but ES its still a lot more than Italian army has done since WWII...

It was no simple guns? Can you explain to me how ISIS was able to get their hands on operational Leopard II tanks?

Option1 is that turkish soldiers run away in panic and left this equipment.

Option 2 is that Turkey activle gave those tanks to ISIS.

Its a matter of fact that no tank in the world is able to stand a chance in a street fight. No tank can survive an advanced ATGM strike. The Leopard 2 is one of the best tanks. The question is, why Turkey was sending those tanks into an environment they are not build for.

What Italy has done since WW II? We actually have fought in real wars. Turkey not so much, beside attacks against kurdish civilians in the Diabakir region of Kurdistan.

It would help if Turkish soldiers try not to leave their equipment behind when they run away from the enemy.

 

[El Kari Kari]

That´s another turkish hissy fit because things are not to their liking. In fact Americans and Russians prefer the kurdish contribution to the effort against ISIS rather than that of the turks.

Kurds are a native element, turks are not, they are invaders liable to complicate even more the situation. Besides both the russians and the americans have pending accounts with the turks. The americans don´t like the neo-ottoman stance of Erdogan et al, their problematic behaviour in the NATO, their flirting with the chinese, their threats against european stability and what not. Russians are even more cynical and cold blooded, they see the kurds establishing a state in the middle/long term in view of the size or their population and the strength of their "military", at the same time they hold the kurdish card close to their chest if there ever is a negotiation beetween the warring sides in Syria. And of course they don´t forget the downing of their plane. Both americans and russians are aware that ISIS grew strong in Syria and Irak because of turkish collaboration.

Let´s not forget either their poor military performance in Al Bab.

There´s a subtext in their message suggesting that they are going to cause problems if the kurds are elected as partners in their place.

 

[ValerioAurelius]

That´s another turkish hissy fit because things are not to their liking. In fact Americans and Russians prefer the kurdish contribution to the effort against ISIS rather than that of the turks.

Kurds are a native element, turks are not, they are invaders liable to complicate even more the situation. Besides both the russians and the americans have pending accounts with the turks. The americans don´t like the neo-ottoman stance of Erdogan et al, their problematic behaviour in the NATO, their flirting with the chinese, their threats against european stability and what not. Russians are even more cynical and cold blooded, they see the kurds establishing a state in the middle/long term in view of the size or their population and the strength of their "military", at the same time they hold the kurdish card close to their chest if there ever is a negotiation beetween the warring sides in Syria. And of course they don´t forget the downing of their plane. Both americans and russians are aware that ISIS grew strong in Syria and Irak because of turkish collaboration.

Let´s not forget either their poor military performance in Al Bab.

There´s a subtext in their message suggesting that they are going to cause problems if the kurds are elected as partners in their place.

Its also a fun fact that Erdo blames Europe for supporting PKK while Russia allows even a PKK office in Moscow and does not see PKK as terrorist organisation.

Looks like "crisis in paradise" for Erdo.

Meanwhile China does not allow turks to get entry no matter what passport they hold.

Erdo drives Turkey against the wall right now.

Btw who ever gives him his suits should be fired...

 

[blondeturkish]

Its also a fun fact that Erdo blames Europe for supporting PKK while Russia allows even a PKK office in Moscow and does not see PKK as terrorist organisation.

Looks like "crisis in paradise" for Erdo.

Meanwhile China does not allow turks to get entry no matter what passport they hold.

Erdo drives Turkey against the wall right now.

Btw who ever gives him his suits should be fired...

you should stop embarrassing yourself

 

[El Kari Kari]

Its also a fun fact that Erdo blames Europe for supporting PKK while Russia allows even a PKK office in Moscow and does not see PKK as terrorist organisation.

Looks like "crisis in paradise" for Erdo.

Meanwhile China does not allow turks to get entry no matter what passport they hold.

Erdo drives Turkey against the wall right now.

Btw who ever gives him his suits should be fired...

Erdogan is wicked but not a fool, you don´t want to come across a bear or a dragon in the jungle. Europe, or should we say "Eurabia" is the perfect scapegoat.

His calculus is that he will be able to defuse the situation after his triumphant referendum. The problem is that when you escape forward everything can happen.