Turkey’s Syria policy ‘increasing tension’ with US, intel chief Clapper says

The US’s chief of intelligence has reiterated that Turkey’s differing approach toward Syria as a global coalition grapples with radical groups in the country has been increasing tension in the US-Turkish bilateral relationship.

“Joint US-Turkish efforts to stem instability in Iraq and Syria share the same goals but employ different approaches, increasing tension in the bilateral relationship,” James Clapper, US director of national intelligence, said on Wednesday, as he assessed Turkey’s role in countering threats the US is facing. Clapper’s remarks before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense are one of the most acute and blunt statements yet on Washington’s uneasiness about Turkey’s unwillingness to fully contribute to the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The House hearing on Wednesday was closed to the public and prepared remarks were provided by the committee. Clapper made similar remarks in his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee last month.

US officials usually refrain from publicly rebuking Turkey as the US administration is working hard to get Ankara on board with anti-ISIL efforts. Turkey’s increased albeit belated contribution to cut the flow of foreign fighters received plaudits, but the country is still reluctant in joining the coalition to obliterate the notorious terrorist group that has overrun large swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq, ransacking towns and imposing a despotic order.

US officials note that the coalition has been successful in blunting the strategic, military and operational momentum of ISIL over the past seven months, but the situation in Syria is more complex than it is in Iraq. The US-led coalition air strikes are backed by partners on the ground, such as the Iraqi army and Shiite militias. Turkey and the US signed a deal last month to train and equip moderate Syrian rebels so that they can fight against the Syrian regime. US President Barack Obama’s envoy to the global coalition to counter ISIL, John Allen, said on Thursday that ISIL has been degraded due to the ongoing campaign.

Clapper also said in his remarks that the Syrian regime made consistent gains in 2014 in parts of western Syria that it considers key, retaking ground in eastern Damascus, Homs, and Latakia, and that it is close to surrounding Aleppo. He added that the regime will require years to reassert significant control over the country.

Clapper continued by saying that the stability of Syria’s neighbors is at risk due to the country’s prolonged conflict, which will strain regional economies that are forced to absorb millions of refugees. He stated that the conflict will also encourage regional sectarianism and continue to incubate extremist groups that will use Syria as a launching pad for attacks across the Middle East.

On the refugee crisis, the director said the Syrian conflict is also putting huge economic and resource strains on countries in the region due to the nearly 4 million refugees fleeing the conflict. Most of the refugees have fled to neighboring states. More than 620,000 are in Jordan; almost 1.6 million are in Turkey; close to 1.2 million are in Lebanon; and more than 240,000 are in Iraq. These states, he said, have requested additional international support to manage the influx.

Clapper said Turkey will remain a critical partner in a wide range of US security policy priorities, including anti-ISIL and broader counterterrorism efforts. However, he also claimed that Turkey is employing a different approach to Iraq and Syria as part of coalition efforts, increasing the tension in the bilateral relationship.

Clapper noted that Ankara would be more inclined to support the anti-ISIL coalition if the coalition agrees to focus efforts against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, including setting up an internationally guaranteed buffer zone in Syria. He said Turkey is also concerned that the Democratic Union Party (PYD) — the Syrian offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) — will gain international legitimacy.

Turkish Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek, who is visiting Washington this week, told state-run news agency Anadolu and Turkish public broadcaster TRT on Thursday that Turkey is unfairly targeted regarding ISIL despite Ankara’s contribution to many lines of efforts in countering the terrorist organization. He added that ISIL is a terrorist organization, “but not the only one.” He claimed that one of the chief terrorist organizations in the region is the PKK, a group with which the Turkish army fought a 30-year war.

Although Çiçek does not represent the Turkish government, his views echoed the prevalent sentiment in Ankara. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan criticized the US earlier this year for dropping military aid for PYD fighters in the key Syrian border town of Kobani. Erdoğan said ISIL and the PKK “are the same thing.”

“There are efforts to justify terrorist groups and make them seem sympathetic just because they’re fighting against ISIL,” Çiçek said, referring to the PKK and its Syrian offshoot. “The PKK is behind these groups. Terror groups are like a scorpion, they will bite once they find the opportunity,” the speaker stressed.

Çiçek also criticized the US on its policy toward the PYD, saying that Washington would make the “biggest mistake again” if it tries to justify terrorist groups just because they are struggling against ISIL.

The speaker said vague US policy in the region with respect to ISIL makes the work of the “opposing front” easier, increases their resistance and “facilitates the Shiite expansion.”

AP reported earlier this week that the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the military arm of the PYD, has proven a willing and capable partner for the US, but not one worth damaging Washington’s relationship with Turkey for.

It cited an American military officer who said the US is not committed to partnering with the Syrian Kurds, but also does not rule out future cooperation depending on circumstances and taking into account their human rights record and the Turkish government’s concerns.

In Washington, the US State Department declined to comment on reports that Washington is avoiding openly partnering with the Syrian Kurdish militants due to Turkey. Spokeswoman Jen Psaki told a daily press briefing on Tuesday that the source “obviously wasn’t speaking to positions of the United States.” She said the US certainly welcomes steps in support of a peaceful resolution to the conflict between the PKK and the Turkish state, encouraging the Turkish government and all parties concerned to continue working towards a lasting peace.

 

 

CIHAN