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TURKEY GOES AGAINST US IN CAMPAIGN AGAINST ISIS
Thursday, September 11th, 2014
http://asbarez.com/126858/turkey-goes-against-us-in-campaign-against-isis/
Fighter jets taxi at the Incirlik air base in Turkey
ANKARA--Turkey will refuse to allow a US-led coalition to attack
jihadists in neighboring Iraq and Syria from its air bases, nor will
it take part in combat operations against militants, a government
official told Agence France-Presse Thursday.
"Turkey will not be involved in any armed operation but will entirely
concentrate on humanitarian operations," the official said on condition
of anonymity.
The decision echoes the country's refusal to allow the US to station
60,000 troops in Turkey in 2003 to invade Iraq from the north, which
triggered a crisis between the two allies.
Ankara then also refused Washington permission to use its air bases
to attack Saddam Hussein's regime.
Turkey has come under fire by some critics for encouraging the
formation of ISIS because of its support of Islamist opponents of
Syrian President Bashar Assad, and its deliberately loose control of
its borders.
But Ankara vehemently denies its strategy has backfired.
US Secretary of State John Kerry was to hold talks in Saudi Arabia
on Thursday to drum up support from 10 key Arab nations and Turkey,
after President Barack Obama announced Washington's new strategy
against ISIS jihadists, which will include air strikes in Syria.
After a lightning advance, ISIS militants now control swathes of Iraq
and much of northern Syria along the Turkish border.
Turkey now sees itself a victim of ISIS with Islamist militants
holding 49 Turks hostage, including diplomats and children, abducted
from the Turkish consulate in Mosul in Iraq on June 11.
Ankara is therefore reluctant to take a stronger role in the coalition
against ISIS militants in apparent fear of aggravating the hostage
situation.
"Our hands and arms are tied because of the hostages," the official
told AFP.
Turkey can open Incirlik Air Base in the south for logistical and
humanitarian operations in any US-led operation, according to the
official who stressed that the base would not be used for lethal
air strikes.
"Turkey will not take part in any combat mission, nor supply weapons,"
he said.
Turkey is the only Muslim country in a coalition of 10 countries who
agreed to fight ISIS at the NATO summit in Newport.
Kerry is due to stop over in Turkey on Friday according to the
official, although the US embassy in Ankara declined to confirm the
visit that comes as part of a regional tour.
Thursday, September 11th, 2014
http://asbarez.com/126858/turkey-goes-against-us-in-campaign-against-isis/
Fighter jets taxi at the Incirlik air base in Turkey
ANKARA--Turkey will refuse to allow a US-led coalition to attack
jihadists in neighboring Iraq and Syria from its air bases, nor will
it take part in combat operations against militants, a government
official told Agence France-Presse Thursday.
"Turkey will not be involved in any armed operation but will entirely
concentrate on humanitarian operations," the official said on condition
of anonymity.
The decision echoes the country's refusal to allow the US to station
60,000 troops in Turkey in 2003 to invade Iraq from the north, which
triggered a crisis between the two allies.
Ankara then also refused Washington permission to use its air bases
to attack Saddam Hussein's regime.
Turkey has come under fire by some critics for encouraging the
formation of ISIS because of its support of Islamist opponents of
Syrian President Bashar Assad, and its deliberately loose control of
its borders.
But Ankara vehemently denies its strategy has backfired.
US Secretary of State John Kerry was to hold talks in Saudi Arabia
on Thursday to drum up support from 10 key Arab nations and Turkey,
after President Barack Obama announced Washington's new strategy
against ISIS jihadists, which will include air strikes in Syria.
After a lightning advance, ISIS militants now control swathes of Iraq
and much of northern Syria along the Turkish border.
Turkey now sees itself a victim of ISIS with Islamist militants
holding 49 Turks hostage, including diplomats and children, abducted
from the Turkish consulate in Mosul in Iraq on June 11.
Ankara is therefore reluctant to take a stronger role in the coalition
against ISIS militants in apparent fear of aggravating the hostage
situation.
"Our hands and arms are tied because of the hostages," the official
told AFP.
Turkey can open Incirlik Air Base in the south for logistical and
humanitarian operations in any US-led operation, according to the
official who stressed that the base would not be used for lethal
air strikes.
"Turkey will not take part in any combat mission, nor supply weapons,"
he said.
Turkey is the only Muslim country in a coalition of 10 countries who
agreed to fight ISIS at the NATO summit in Newport.
Kerry is due to stop over in Turkey on Friday according to the
official, although the US embassy in Ankara declined to confirm the
visit that comes as part of a regional tour.