Orkhan Sattarov, the head of the European Bureau of Vestnik Kavkaza
Attacks on the positions of Islamic State in Syria didn’t stop their advance toward the strategically-important town of Kobani near the Turkish border. According to a Syrian human rights organization in London, armed troops of IS occupied 325 villages outside the town. Recently there were only several dozen captured villages. Moreover, several days ago the terrorists were staying 10 km from the town, but now their positions are situated 3-4 km from Kobani on three sides.
Therefore, despite the involvement of the UK's RAF, which has already undertaken military flights, the air attacks have turned out to be not enough to prevent the terrorists’ attacks. Moreover, in the context of the appearance of a common enemy for radical Islamists fighting in Syria – the Western coalition – the competing organizations of Islamic State and the al-Nusra Front tend to cooperate.
According to Die Welt, which cites an unknown field commander of the Islamists in the Syrian city of Aleppo, last week about 100 terrorists of the al-Nusra Front shifted to the side of Islamic State. Abu Haled, a Syrian journalist from Idlib, thinks that the two radical groups could make peace. In this case, relations between the moderate opposition supported by the West and the al-Nusra Front would be finally broken; even though they have been fighting against Bashar Assad for several years.
It is interesting that the recent bombings by the Americans of the Khorasan Group, which was unknown to everybody, touched on facilities of the al-Nusra Front. Probably the al-Nusra front was the real target of the bombing. Historian Khisham al Khashim, an expert on international jihadism, told Die Welt that the Khorasan Group didn’t have functioning structures in Syria. According to him, the group and its threat to the U.S. are “an illusion constructed by the American mass media.” Apparently, the final target of Washington’s action is the final separation of the Islamists from the moderate opposition, which are to become the basis of the future Syrian government, if Bashar Assad is overthrown.
At the same time, pressure on Turkey from the EU and the U.S. is growing. The Western partners are trying to get Ankara more actively involved in the military operation against Islamic State. The president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, visiting Istanbul, urged the countries of the region to resist IS severely. Obviously, Barroso meant Turkey first of all. The president of the European Commission admits that the EU “cannot, don’t want, and have no right” to interfere in the Syrian conflict to a large extent. According to him, there are serious disputes about mobilization of military resources for fighting IS among the EU members.
Moreover, Barroso thinks that the old ideas of the West shouldn’t be used in fighting IS, as it will “provide the Islamists with reasons for a holy war against democracy.” He thinks that, considering the experience of previous conflicts, the settlement of such conflicts cannot be imposed on the sides by the EU or the U.S., it should come from the countries of the region. At the same time, the Turkish President didn’t leave Barroso’s speech unanswered. Erdogan noted that Turkey was helping Syrian refugees, who number 1.5 million in Turkey at the moment.
However, it seems Western pressure is beginning to play a certain role in changes in the Turkish position, speaking about support for the campaign against IS. Vestnik Kavkaza reported earlier that the Turkish government, headed by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, requested permission from parliament for cross-border operation by the armed forces in Syria and Iraq to fight Islamic State and support the country’s security. However, there is another important reason that could make Erdogan fight the terrorists in Syria. Turkish society hasn’t forgotten the story of the capture of 49 Turkish consulate employees in Mosul in Northern Iraq. Today IS is challenging Ankara again.
According to the pro-government Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak, about 1100 terrorists surrounded the Turkish enclave near Aleppo, where 36 Turkish soldiers are defending the tomb of Suleiman Shah, father of Ottoman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire. According to the Turkish newspaper Sabah, the Turkish army has sent 35 armored vehicles to the Syrian border.
If the parliament permits cross-border operations by the Turkish armed forces, they will begin their operation on October 4th and it will last for a year. According to Hurriyet, after adoption of the draft 10 thousand Turkish soldiers will be ready to fight in Syria. 5 thousand will be kept in reserve. Finally, a decision on invading Syria will depend on the situation concerning the surrounded 36 Turkish soldiers.
