The Voice of America is reporting that Turkish troops could be used to set up a "secure zone" in Syria to provide a safe haven for all those Syrian refugees fleeing ISIS. The Turkish parliament is to consider this coming week an authorization for Turkish forces to be used outside the borders of the country. Once that passes, Turkey's president Erdogan says that Turkey's army could move into Syria.
Consider what this means.
1. Turkey's armed forces are much stronger than any that ISIS has previously faced. The likely result of a conflict between Turkish forces and ISIS would be a victory for the Turks.
2. One of the biggest problems created by ISIS has been the dash by hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees across the border into Turkey in order to avoid death at the hands or ISIS or, at a minimum, life under the sharia law imposed by ISIS. Creation of a large secure area inside Syria would provide a place for those refugees to resettle, at least temporarily.
3. Movement of Turkish forces into northern Syria would also be a blow to Iran and Syrian dictator Bashir al Assad. The main roads across the region which Iran has used to resupply the Assad forces would remain under the control of forces hostile to Assad and Iran. Instead of the control being that of ISIS, however, the roads would be monitored by far more numerous Turkish forces which would completely stop the flow of weapons from Iran to Assad.
4. Once the Turks move into northern Syria, it will be difficult to see a situation in which they later leave. The ouster of ISIS may be just a step towards the re-establishment of Turkish rule in the region. Turkey controlled this area for many centuries until the end of World War I. Putting the Turks back in control of northern Syria will have long term consequences for the viability of the Syrian state. Of course, given the events of the last few years, there are already very serious questions as to the existence of a Syrian state in any event.
5. The presence of Turkish forces on the ground would provide ISIS with another target against which to launch terrorist raids. Most likely ISIS would change from a terror army into more of a traditional terrorist organization using hit and run tactics to inflict casualties without engaging in a major confrontation.
6. The participation of the Turks would reduce the need for the "vetted" Syrian rebels to get arms and training from the USA. President Erdogan of Turkey could get American president Obama off the hook for having to follow his announced strategy.
This development has plusses and minuses, but without a doubt, it would still be a victory against ISIS. If the Jordanian army were to follow suit and enter Syria from the south, there could be a knock out blow against ISIS.
Consider what this means.
1. Turkey's armed forces are much stronger than any that ISIS has previously faced. The likely result of a conflict between Turkish forces and ISIS would be a victory for the Turks.
2. One of the biggest problems created by ISIS has been the dash by hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees across the border into Turkey in order to avoid death at the hands or ISIS or, at a minimum, life under the sharia law imposed by ISIS. Creation of a large secure area inside Syria would provide a place for those refugees to resettle, at least temporarily.
3. Movement of Turkish forces into northern Syria would also be a blow to Iran and Syrian dictator Bashir al Assad. The main roads across the region which Iran has used to resupply the Assad forces would remain under the control of forces hostile to Assad and Iran. Instead of the control being that of ISIS, however, the roads would be monitored by far more numerous Turkish forces which would completely stop the flow of weapons from Iran to Assad.
4. Once the Turks move into northern Syria, it will be difficult to see a situation in which they later leave. The ouster of ISIS may be just a step towards the re-establishment of Turkish rule in the region. Turkey controlled this area for many centuries until the end of World War I. Putting the Turks back in control of northern Syria will have long term consequences for the viability of the Syrian state. Of course, given the events of the last few years, there are already very serious questions as to the existence of a Syrian state in any event.
5. The presence of Turkish forces on the ground would provide ISIS with another target against which to launch terrorist raids. Most likely ISIS would change from a terror army into more of a traditional terrorist organization using hit and run tactics to inflict casualties without engaging in a major confrontation.
6. The participation of the Turks would reduce the need for the "vetted" Syrian rebels to get arms and training from the USA. President Erdogan of Turkey could get American president Obama off the hook for having to follow his announced strategy.
This development has plusses and minuses, but without a doubt, it would still be a victory against ISIS. If the Jordanian army were to follow suit and enter Syria from the south, there could be a knock out blow against ISIS.
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