There is nothing farfetched about this claim: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has his own designs on the caliphate. If the Islamic State can fight against some of his enemies, such as Assad and the Kurds, he has no problem with that — he hopes to move in later and reap the benefits.
“Assad: Turkey Helping IS Fighters Enter Syria,” Sky News, March 30, 2015 (thanks to Thomas Pellow):
Jihadists who travel to Syria to join Islamic State are being “logistically and militarily” supported by Turkey on a daily basis, according to Bashar al Assad.
The Syrian president has accused his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, of ignoring would-be terrorists as they attempt to cross the border between the two nations.
As many as 500 Britons are thought to have made their way to Syria to join the ranks of Islamic State – including three teenage girls from east London, who are now believed to be in the city of Raqqa, an IS stronghold.
The trio were last seen on CCTV at a bus station in Istanbul on 17 February.
Despite this, several terror suspects have been successfully captured in Turkey before they have managed to cross the border, including three teenage boys, who have since been arrested by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of terrorism offences.
In an interview with CBS, Mr Assad described President Erdogan as “somebody who’s suffering from political megalomania” – and labelled him a “Muslim Brotherhood fanatic”.
Speaking to Charlie Rose on 60 Minutes, the Syrian leader also warned that Islamic State has expanded its reach in his country considerably, even though US-led air strikes have tried to stymie the spread of the terror organisation.
“This is not regular war. It’s not about capturing land and gaining land. It’s about winning the hearts and minds of Syrians,” Mr Assad added.
The president also rejected allegations that his military helicopters had been used to drop barrel bombs and chlorine gas during the four-year civil war – and insisted such claims were “malicious propaganda against Syria”.
When asked why his administration’s legitimacy has been brought into disrepute by world leaders, he told Mr Rose: “Because the West, and especially the United States, doesn’t accept partners – they only accept followers….
epistemology says
Right now Turkey is our worst enemy. Erdogaga wants to destroy the West and is supporting ISIS. He wants to revive the Ottoman sultanate.
Lioness says
Very true. Turkey actively, in a clandestine manner, supports ISIS. They turn a blind eye to jihadis crossing the border to Syria. The West must support Assad, the lesser of two evils, in that hell hole, Syria. He is a barrier against ISIS spilling into Turkey and Israel. That is why Obama wants to remove Assad.
Bezelel says
Assad looks like the lesser of two evils more times than not. The Turks efforts to run the Gaza blockade and planning to do it again has shown what they’re made of even if they weren’t passively watching Christians being massacred. Turkey does not belong in NATO.
sidney penny says
or EU
Don McKellar says
Maybe I am uniformed, but it has always appeared to me that Assad was exactly the kind of Middle East dictator whom the United States should have always been at least neutral to, and probably in some instances on side with — like now. What’s wrong with him? Is it that he doesn’t buy US Military Industrial Complex hardware? Is it that he doesn’t have big deals with US Big Oil? What makes him less desirable than the Saudis and all the other dictatorships that are in the good books?
umbra says
There are any number of reasons why the US did not support assad’s syria.
1) support of terrorism – The late assad (and hence the whole family) supported hezbollah along with iran. iran is a hostile to the US – even though obama and kerry pretends otherwise. Bottom line, assad’s syria cannot be trusted because of it very friendly relationship with iran (sponsor and puppet master of terror) and hezbelloh (terror itself).
2) hostility to US ally – syria under the assad family has always been a threat to Israel (the only true ally of the US in the mideast – but apparently never an ally in the eyes of obama).
3) geopolitical consideration – syria was a client state of the ussr as it currently is to its successor, Russia. syria was and still is much more receptive towards Russia than the US. In any case, lots of political and economic capital needed to bring syria over from the Russian sphere of influence – i.e. political cover for syria on international stage plus ridiculous amount of economic and military aid (think pakistan).
4) economic – Granted that syria has oil reserves, it is still not energy rich like some gulf states. Hence US energy security is not tied to syria.
5) strategic value – syria offers very little strategic value to the US. It is too far away to monitor Russia. Its port facility in the Mediterranean is inferior to that of other NATO allies. Even before the fall of saddam, it offered very little in terms of monitoring saddam’s forces which were carried out with the assistance of other region partners. Its only real value was it being another possible location for monitoring iran (through Northwestern iran). However, being evidently so friendly with iran, having syrian cooperation with monitoring iranian activities was next to impossible. Furthermore, this strategic value of syria diminished considerably immediately following the fall of saddam’s iraq since coalition occupation of iraq opened up the western frontier to iran to direct monitoring and intel gathering.
Avenger says
It’s been common knowledge for over a year that Erdogan supports ISIS. I think the main reason the US undermines Assad and allows the turks to support IS is that the Saudis and Turks want him destroyed and replaced with a sunni government that further isolates Iran. Both of these Sunni nations have economic, military and top government connections with the USA. The Sauds grease the wheels of both Dems and Republicans ( Clintons, Bushes, B Dole, McCain, L Graham, on and on ) the best politicians money can buy and many top US colleges also get buko bucks from the Sauds. They fund hundreds of mosques and madrases throughout the U.S.
Remember the Saud’s offered to pay the US to invade Syria at the beginning of the Sunni uprising. Obama was actually smart enough to turn down their request.
This whole mess may backfire on Erdogan, the flip flopping Obama – Kerry team seem mesmerized by the Irainians now and the U.S. just lifted the arms embargo on Egypt. If and when Iran and Syria kick ISIS out of Iraq and Syria they’ll be swarming over the Turkish border. Should be fun times for Erdogan..
David says
It’s also possible that Assad and Iran looked to the Islamic State to fight the rebels within Syria. This killed two birds with one stone as they say. The opposition would be fighting each other and the West would not wish to back an alliance that included the Islamic State.
Jerry says
Turkey is not an ally of the USA
It is only an ally of the Obamination
temporarily installed in the Shiite House.
thomas pellow says
“Turkey: Is the AKP’s ‘Spell’ Reversing?”
by Burak Bekdil
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/5448/turkey-is-the-akp-spell-reversing
thomas pellow says
“Alarm as Turkey backs new police powers”
By Selin Girit,
BBC News, Istanbul.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32129015
cat says
Late last night I caught the PBS Charlie Rose interview with Bashar al Assad. Charlie Rose in my opinion has a difficult time accepting some concepts about the ideology of jihad terror so I heard during the interview some of this attitude came out while talking to Assad. I did find the interview very interesting although it seem as though Rose denied the answers that Assad would try to explain as if he didn’t believe or hear the answer. I am also confused but one statement that struck me was how the ‘terrorist” would seek out and strike Syria in area’s in area’s were the Syrian army was missing and attacked the civilian population…. (gruesome attacks ) .and that he was accused of attacking his civilians and he said where is the ‘logic’ ……over and over.
Marco says
Erdogan, imam obama’s F’k buddy. Of course he is helping he wants Turkey to be the head of the caliphate again. Good luck these demons will kill Erdogan too given the opportunity in the future when he is no longer useful.