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Turkey's Place In The Fight Against Jihadists In Syria And Iraq

18.09.2014 12:22

The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), or so-called Islamic State (IS), is on the top of the priorities of the NATO alliance.Unfortunately, the West was rather late to realize the capacity of the IS' terrorism to spread. American intelligence sources claim that out of 18,000 militants that.

The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), or so-called Islamic State (IS), is on the top of the priorities of the NATO alliance.
Unfortunately, the West was rather late to realize the capacity of the IS' terrorism to spread. American intelligence sources claim that out of 18,000 militants that joined the lines of the IS in the last year, 2,000 were from Western countries. Apparently, the influx of militants into Syria and Iraq is at its initial stages and the IS has already established a network for recruiting and indoctrinating future militants.
Obviously, together with the influx of militants, there is an influx of money that cannot be detected as easily as the militants. Militants have relatives that look for them after their sudden disappearances; money moves without leaving the vacuum.

In both cases, Turkey has been challenged by allegations of easing the movement of militants and money. Particularly the claim that Turkey has been benefitting from oil-smuggling runs by IS militants needs clarification. Turkey's borders with Iraq and Syria are almost totally uncontrollable. The mountainous areas on the borderline have been used by smugglers for years and it is impossible to stop that come and go between Turkey, Iraq and Syria. After the unfortunate massacre of 34 smugglers in what is now known as the Roboski Massacre, the Turkish public became aware of a continuing smuggling business that has been going on for generations, to which the Turkish security forces at the border have been turning a blind eye.
The claims about Turkey being a market for IS oil has no more information that can underline an intentional Turkish effort to finance the terrorist organization. Smugglers do not ask about the source of the oil or the final target of the money.

These reports, including ones that claim the existence of a well-established Salafi jihadist ring of sleeper cells in Turkey, underline the fact that no war against the IS can be fully won without the willful participation of Turkey; and yet, they also undermine that possibility. The Turkish leadership is understandably concerned about the fate of its 49 citizens being held hostage by the IS and about the future possibility of Turkey playing Pakistan's role vis-a-vis the war against terrorism in Afghanistan.
Turkey has its longest border with Syria and least secure border with Iraq and has everything to lose from participating in a combat operation in Iraq and Syria. When bombarded, the IS militants will run towards the mountainous areas in Turkey or Jordan, and Turkey may find itself challenged by a new wave of terrorism much worse than that of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Ankara's hesitation to join international combat missions should not be regarded as a determined anti-Western or pro-jihadist stance. And the use of media coverage in a way that will push Turkey towards a “with-us-or-against-us” game is certainly counterproductive.
We have seen what such a useless public diplomacy game has led to in Turkey's European Union membership bid. Declaring that “Turkey has always been a trusted member of the NATO alliance” will do much more to convince Ankara to take the risk. Turks -- and this is not unique to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, although he has pushed this feeling to its limits -- love to be loved and hate to be hated.

Ankara, on the other hand, has to realize that air strikes on the IS are now an issue of when, not of whether. When the air bombardment starts, it won't help Turkey not to have let the NATO fighter jets use its İncirlik NATO base. Turkey is a natural exit route for IS militants and if they cannot be stopped before they enter Turkey, Turkish cities and later other European capitals will be hunting for undetectable jihadists.

Turkey badly needs international support in terms of border protection, and Europe has to realize that, despite its length and penetrability, Turkey's southern border is the best place to pile up measures for the security of the continent.

KERİM BALCI (Cihan/Today's Zaman)



 
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