Turkey’s Greenlight in Syria Detracts from ISIS Fight

Posted: April 18th, 2018

Bottom Line: The U.S. teamed with Kurdish forces to oust ISIS from its self-declared caliphate in Syria in Iraq, but now Washington’s continued support for Kurdish militias in Syria has strained relations between the U.S. and Turkey, which remains immersed in a longstanding feud with its sizable, domestic Kurdish minority. And now, as Turkey has launched an offensive aimed at clearing its border with Syria from a touted Kurdish threat, Washington is forced to strike a delicate balance between placating a critical ally and supporting a force that has played a key role in beating back ISIS.

Background: The U.S. began providing support for Syrian Kurdish forces, known as the Popular Protection Units (YPG), during the battle of Kobane in September 2014 when ISIS was threatening to overrun the northern Syrian city and commit grave atrocities in the Kurdish enclave.

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