Islamic State spoils US-Turkish relationsThe US media, including the influential New York Times, have accused Turkey of helping militants from the Islamic State. Turkish president responded with a wave of criticism, accusing the US of the wars in Iraq, Syria and other countries of the Middle East.The US is now facing a difficult situation, because they lost the trust of Turkey, their traditional ally in the Middle East. This is particularly important when there are so few stable countries in the region.VK asked Turkish expert in the sphere of international relations Hasan Selim Özertem to comment on the potential development of US-Turkish relations.In his opinion, the situation is indeed quite complicated. The US accuses Turkey of cooperating with IS, in particular, of secretly buying oil from it, which only makes IS stronger. "According to some estimates, IS profits from oil sales can be hundreds of millions. In addition, the West accuses Turkey of hiding the militants. Ankara repeatedly rejected these accusations, but it still leads to confrontation", he said.The expert noted that Turkey has agreed to cooperate with the US on measures against the IS and is ready to share information in the interests of this operation. But there are no plans for the more active involvement. "This is a principal moment for Turkey because of the fears for the life of 49 employees of the Turkish consulate in Mosul, which were taken as hostages by IS", he explained."The West urges Turkey to be more actively involved in the operation, but it poses its own conditions. First of all, Ankara demands the creation of a buffer zone on its territory where the refugees could come in case of air strikes," explained the expertHe added, according to the official information, that there are 1.3 million refugees in Turkey today (and 2 million according to unofficial estimates) and that the Turkish economy simply can't cope with another wave of refugees.
The US media, including the influential New York Times, have accused Turkey of helping militants from the Islamic State. Turkish president responded with a wave of criticism, accusing the US of the wars in Iraq, Syria and other countries of the Middle East.
The US is now facing a difficult situation, because they lost the trust of Turkey, their traditional ally in the Middle East. This is particularly important when there are so few stable countries in the region.
VK asked Turkish expert in the sphere of international relations Hasan Selim Özertem to comment on the potential development of US-Turkish relations.
In his opinion, the situation is indeed quite complicated. The US accuses Turkey of cooperating with IS, in particular, of secretly buying oil from it, which only makes IS stronger. "According to some estimates, IS profits from oil sales can be hundreds of millions. In addition, the West accuses Turkey of hiding the militants. Ankara repeatedly rejected these accusations, but it still leads to confrontation", he said.
The expert noted that Turkey has agreed to cooperate with the US on measures against the IS and is ready to share information in the interests of this operation. But there are no plans for the more active involvement. "This is a principal moment for Turkey because of the fears for the life of 49 employees of the Turkish consulate in Mosul, which were taken as hostages by IS", he explained.
"The West urges Turkey to be more actively involved in the operation, but it poses its own conditions. First of all, Ankara demands the creation of a buffer zone on its territory where the refugees could come in case of air strikes," explained the expert.
He added, according to the official information, that there are 1.3 million refugees in Turkey today (and 2 million according to unofficial estimates) and that the Turkish economy simply can't cope with another wave of refugees.
