Yesterday retired General John Allen, the special representative of the US in the coalition of states struggling against the Islamic state terrorist group, arrived in Ankara. According to CNN, Allen's task is to persuade the Turkish government to take more decisive steps against the terrorists who have already seized parts of Syria and Iraq.
The head of the Caucasus Department of the CIS Institute, the director of the Center for Public Policy Research, Vladimir Yevseyev, believes that Turkey plays an equally important role in the fight against extreme Islamists in Syria and Iraq. "Turkey within NATO is not perceived as an equal member of the alliance. And that has been noted by many NATO officials in private conversations. Turkey has not provided, for example, its territory for the operation aimed at overthrowing Saddam Hussein. Turkey is a very peculiar member of the alliance, which, for example, does not really want to see NATO ships in the Black Sea. And if Turkey became a target of invasion by Islamic State, I wouldn't unequivocally say that afterwards NATO would protect Turkey against the Islamists. Because, firstly, such a solution cannot be adopted. Secondly, I am not very sure that President Erdogan wants it," the military expert said.
Vladimir Yevseyev is sure that Turkey is also responsible for the current situation. "On the one hand, Turkey itself has created a permanent problem since training camps for militants were established on its territory. The territory of Turkey is very often used as a transit zone through which these militants come to Syria. Ankara has tacitly supported the radicals in Syria. And from this point of view, Turkey has been involved in co-operation with the Islamists. This has created some problems in Turkey. And we know that the local population, especially among the Alawites who live in Turkey, were displeased," Yevseyev says.
Another reason why Turkey is so vulnerable now, according to Yevseyev, is US policy in Iraqi Kurdistan. "Unfortunately, the United States is pursuing policies which could lead to the formation of a not only de facto but also de jure independent Iraqi Kurdistan. And this would have the most serious consequences for Turkey, because the areas where Kurds live in Turkey, apparently, may want to join the territorial entity. We can see now how serious the actions of Kurds within Turkey are. From this perspective, the question arises how much Turkey is actually interested in an intervention in the affairs of Syria."
Vladimir Yevseyev believes that if Turkey sends troops to Syria it would be regarded as an act of aggression. "And it's possible that that not only Islamists will fight Turkish troops, but also those Syrians who feel that an armed invasion has taken place and they are forced to defend the territory of Syria from Turkey. We should not forget that there is territorial controversy between these states. Therefore, Turkey should not participate in a ground operation."
The military expert believes that Turkey can do without conducting ground operations."Turkey could simply provide its territory for NATO airfields. Yes, this is a solution. They could, in extreme cases, use Turkish artillery or aircraft for strikes, but without sending ground troops. I think that would be the perfect way to participate in this operation without taking part in a ground operation. Because such an operation would be a very serious problem for Turkey."
