Turkey's Silent Al Qaeda Partner in Syria by Elizabeth Teoman – Institute for the Study of War
Turkey is cooperating with al Qaeda to threaten the Syrian Kurdish YPG in northern Syria. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s intervention in Idlib Province is setting conditions for a de facto safe haven for jihadists in Syria that will jeopardize the U.S. campaign against al Qaeda.
Turkey is positioned to launch operations against the Syrian Kurdish YPG in northern Syria. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) deployed armored vehicles and around 100 special forces troops to establish an ostensible ‘de-escalation zone’ in greater Idlib Province, Syria, on October 12. The cross-border intervention occurred as part of a wider deal brokered by Russia, Turkey, and Iran at the Astana Talks on September 14 - 15…