The world community is going to support the actions of the Turkish-American coalition in the fight against the banned organization Islamic State. This was explained in an interview to Vestnik Kavkaza by the former US Assistant Secretary for the South Caucasus, former US ambassador to Azerbaijan, Director of the International Centre for Defence Studies in Tallinn, Matthew Bryza.
"The international community will support the efforts of the coalition led by the United States, of which Turkey recently became an active member, to fight so-called Islamic State. In fact, people who oppose Islamic extremism, including those in Russia, who support Syrian President Bashar Assad, understand how important it is to fight the medieval hatred and extreme intolerance which lies at the base of the barbarism of Islamic State," he told.
At the same time, the coalition, according to Bryza, will be limited to air strikes on positions of militants, there are no talks about the introduction of ground forces.
However, according to him, it should be taken into account that Turkey, along with fighting Islamic State, intends to resolve the Kurdish issue.
"Of course, Turkey will not be limited to the fight against Islamic State only," Bryza stressed.
This position of the Turkish government encountered some misunderstanding from America, he pointed out. "The United States wants Ankara to join them in the fight against Islamic State as very much the main enemy, and hope that the Turkish government will direct its efforts at reconciliation with the Kurdish part of its population," the former US ambassador to Azerbaijan stated.
"For many people in Washington it is difficult to understand why Turkey has concentrated its forces in the fight against the Kurds, since the Kurdish forces have played the biggest role in stopping Islamic State in Syria. On the other hand, Washington is well aware that Turkey is strongly concerned about the problems with the ethnic balance in northern Syria, given the new influx of Kurds," Matthew Bryza concluded.