Discussion: US Says Turkey OKs Use Of Bases Against Militants

TPM Article Topics
1

Discussion for article #228755

2

In other words, despite Obama reassurances, American troops will be soon on the ground fighting ISIL, we like it or not. Nobody else but the Kurds and Americans seems to have the guts to fight this scourge.

3

You know, fuck this. Turkey is on the doorstep of what is happening, and won’t really get involved. Meaning, they need to commit combat troops at least across the borders of Syria and Iraq to create refugee buffer zones.

I tell you, they’re worse than Germany when it comes to NATO participation.

While I understand and supported their unwillingness to let the U.S. stage a NW front during the Iraq invasion, this is something they must commit to in a meaningful fashion. Merely allowing us to use bases (that we built) to stage air strikes (enough with the “precision” bombing - time for Warthogs and helicopter gunships for close combat support) is a joke.

Nothing in the article supports the notion of U.S. combat troops. If that were the case, they could just as easily be deployed from Baghdad.

1 Like
4

Ankara is already denying reports that they are going to let Americans use Encirlik to bomb Isis in order to save Kurdish fighters. Turks after all aren’t going to throw away their national security in order to embrace Kurdish terrorists just to fight America’s boogeyman de jour. Americans even their chess-playing president have a simplistic view of the Middle East which does not fit the reality. This is why Bush Sr, Clinton, Bush Jr and now Obama have meddled there, of course, with the best intentions only to screw it up even more.

5

Agree on the Turks’ foot-dragging because of their animosity to Assad and their antipathy to Kurds’ aspirations.
I’d bet the Turks change their stance if ISIS overruns their borders, but by then it might be too late for them, and it could drag NATO into the mess.

1 Like
6

Turkey does indeed have a choice — they can fight ISIL today or they can fight ISIL tomorrow.

7

Turkey cares more about Kurdish separatists than about ISIL. It’s happy to let ISIL slaughter Kurds. If Turkey wanted to intervene, it could have at any time.