Turkey and the U.S. Take Joint Action Against ISIS in Syria

According to U.S. officials, Washington and Ankara have agreed to take joint action to repel forces of the group known as the 'Islamic State' from northern Syria, which includes the establishment of a buffer zone. However, alongside this action, the Turkish army has continued its attacks on Kurdish positions in Syria, targeting locations in both northern Syria and northern Iraq with artillery fire and airstrikes. While the President of the United States is on an African trip in Ethiopia, a senior U.S. official stated on July 27 that Ankara and Washington 'intend to create a buffer zone devoid of ISIS and want to establish greater security and stability along the Turkey-Syria border.' According to this unnamed official, the details of this 'buffer zone' are still under review. Reuters reports that this area may also serve as a safe zone for civilians fleeing the war. Turkey, which has become a refuge for over 1.8 million Syrian refugees, has long sought to establish a no-fly zone in northern Syria, aimed not only at pushing back Islamist militants but also at countering predominantly leftist Kurdish forces. No official statements or comments have yet been released by U.S. or Turkish officials regarding the new actions of the two countries. Nevertheless, Reuters quotes Ahmet Davutoğlu, Turkey's foreign minister, as saying that the two allied countries have discussed the need for air support for moderate Syrian rebels engaged in battles against the self-proclaimed Islamic State. Davutoğlu told the ITV network, 'We do not want to see ISIS at Turkey's borders.' In recent days, the Turkish army has attacked positions of the so-called Islamic State militants, as well as conducting strikes on a Kurdish village in northern Syria and targets in northern Iraq related to Kurdish forces. The Turkish Prime Minister also stated on Monday that the country would continue its military operations against the positions of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).