© REUTERS/ Mustafa Aktas/Prime Minister’s Press Office
Turkey is ready to operate in Syria as long as its requried for an anti-ISIS fight, US Vice President Joe Biden told reporters in Sweden on August 25, following his visit to Ankara.
Biden visited Turkey at the same day when it launched the “Euphrates Shield” military operation with stated aim of clearing the town of Jarablus in northern Syria of the ISIS terrorist group. However, it’s clear that the Turkish move is pursuing much more strategic goals.
“I think the Turks are prepared to stay in the effort to take out ISIL [Daesh] as long as it takes,” Biden said. “I think there has been a gradual mindshift set change in Turkey with the realization that ISIL is an existential threat to Turkey. They demonstrated that.”
He may be right. They just may stay, but as part of the landscape.
Kaput!!! Just what I postulated yesterday and I repeat ‘underestimate the US at your own peril’. Washington will do anything and I mean anything to retain Turkey in its camp which Edorgan is surely aware of (cost and benefits wise). At this stage the battle against the kurds in Syria by Turkey might be switch to regime change or fragmentation plan B by America, and no doubt Russia will not confront the US militarily in Syria so Axis of Resistance better prepared for the worse, the possibility of America’s (through Turkey) occupation of Syria. Turkey will not really go after Daesh but the kurds who will put up resistance against the Sultan army for as long as it takes. Here’s where I believe the kurds and Assad can work together because the kurds agreeing to stay within the Syria system will make them Assad ally if need arises to push the Turks (America) out of Syria militarily, but I hope Washington do not get there first by making a compromise between the kurds and Turkey and create a kurds false group which can continue to create skirmishes here and there for Turkey to continue to justify her occupation not withstanding the agreement reached between Syria and Turkey before the invasion (Washington only act according to agreed terms when it suits her interest, the Russians and Iranians knows better). Whichever way this play out the empire is still far from quenching its taste for blood in Syria.
In 3 months, the US government changes. If Clinton wins, nothing will change, it’ll even get worse, much worse. If Trump wins, this all might end.
That’s exactly what Turkey wanted back in February but couldn’t achieve because they had Russia at odds and thus lacked the necessary NATO support for the venture.
And now they are “gently” achieving it thanks to Russia’s betrayal of its promise toward Syria’s territorial integrity.
Do you remember ? https://southfront.org/foreign-policy-diary-turkeys-military-intervention-to-syria/