[413] Sadi Pria, a top Iraqi Kurdish official in Irbil said: "Turkey shamelessly and openly backs IS and al-Qaeda terrorists against Kurdish freedom fighters". Tajikistan: Both countries have a bilateral agreements on Cooperation in the Fields of Public Health and Medical Science. [508], In 2015, Syria's antiquities chief has said Turkey was refusing to return looted objects from ancient heritage sites in Syria or to provide information about them. [505], In November 2019, Turkish-backed forces under the command of the Turkish army, have been accused of committing war crimes after mobile phones footage. [198] Among those killed, two were of dual Israel-US nationality. [158][159] Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Leader of the Opposition in Turkey has said that Erdogan and his government have supported terrorism in Syria. In addition, local authorities and humanitarian groups in Northeast Syria said that they are unable to bring additional supplies into the region because the border with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is closed. [393], On 26 June 2016 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan writes Russian President Vladimir Putin to offer condolences to the family of the deceased Russian pilot of the Sukhoi Su-24 warplane shot down last November. [307], On 9 January 2018, while giving a parliamentary address to his ruling AKP, president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey will continue its military operation in Syria's Afrin and Manbij regions.[308]. He also added that he tried to persuade the Turkish government to close its borders to the extremists, but to no avail. Both countries’ decision makers have seeked to built up a multidimensional cooperation in the relations within the last decade. Turkey-Syria Relations Several disputes made relations between Syria and Turkey uneasy. Israel-Turkey relations could be in for a change - analysis Evidence for this comes from foreign reports that “Israeli airplanes and drones are challenging Iranian military targets in Syria.” [363], On 29 November 2016, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of the Republic of Turkey, said that the Turkish military launched its operations in Syria "to end the rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad". Turkey's policy towards Rojava is based on an economic blockade,[221] persistent attempts of international isolation,[222] opposition to the cooperation of the international Anti-ISIL-coalition with Rojava militias,[223] and support of Islamist Syrian Civil War parties hostile towards Rojava,[224][225] in past times even including ISIL. In the 2019 local elections, the loss of the Istanbul mayoralty by the governing Justice and Development (AK) party was perceived as a major setback for the 'imperial presidency' of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. [518], In March 2020, nongovernmental organizations, the World Health Organization and the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria said that the water supply from the Alouk pumping station has been repeatedly interrupted after Turkey and its allies took control of the Allouk water station after the Turkish offensive in October 2019. So that is an important distinction. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Hulusi Akar Yaşar Güler Hakan Fidan İsmail Metin Temel(2016–2018) Zekai Aksakallı(2016–2017), Hediya Yousef[38] So an agreement can not be reached about the struggle against them". In the evening hours, reconnaissance and surveillance vehicles spotted ISIL positions in the Suran region north of Aleppo and the Baragidah and Kuşacık regions northeast of Tal el Hişn. The report showed that Germany sees Turkey as platform for Islamist groups in the Middle East. Syria has an embassy in Nicosia. He said in the letter that recruiters from ISIL had reportedly established a network in the Turkish city of Antalya for foreign fighters from the former Soviet Union. [citation needed] The Ministry also stated that jihadists and Turkish trucks supplying them continued to freely cross the Turkish-Syrian border. "It (Jordan) should have adopted a similar position to Turkey. The Global War on Terror and the Narrative of the Uyghur Terrorist Threat", "Istanbul terror highlights Central Asian link to Islamic State", "Senior Western official: Links between Turkey and ISIS are now 'undeniable, "Turkey paying a price for Erdoğan's wilful blindness to Isis threat", "Turkey's 'double game' on ISIS and support for extremist groups highlighted after horrific Istanbul attack", "WikiLeaks documents highlight sinister relations between Erdogan and ISIS", "Turkish army returns fire on Islamic State after soldier killed: army", "Kilis'te son dakika IŞİD saldırısı 1 Şehit", "Turkey says warplanes strike IS targets across the border in Syria", "Turkey, Anticipating Attack, Strikes 3 ISIS Targets in Syria With Jets", "Raid on Koza İpek Media Group comes after reports on transfer of weapons to ISIL", "Turkey Escalates Gulen Witch Hunt With Koza Ipek Raids", "Court seizes control of Gülen-linked industry, media group", "War with Isis: President Obama demands that Turkey close stretch of border with Syria", "A truck loaded with 10,000 detonators bound for Syria seized southeastern Turkey, Turkish daily says", "Turkey releases bombing suspect details as Twitter temporarily shut down", "Suruc massacre: At least 30 killed in Turkey border blast", "Does Turkey have to learn to live with terror? [437], In September 2014, Egypt's foreign ministry under President Sisi said the Turkish president was being a supporter of terrorists who seek to "provoke chaos" in the Middle East. Turkish armed forces responded to the attack by shelling ISIL targets with howitzers from the border.[214]. [111] According to the SOHR, six Turkish soldiers and four Syrian rebels were killed in the attack. [275], On 27 March 2014 an audio tape recording of high-level Turkish officials discussing Turkey's Syria strategy was released on YouTube. The Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu confirmed it and he said that Turkey had warned the PYD not to cross to the "west of the Euphrates and that we would hit it the moment it did. [298] Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on the first day of the operation, called Euphrates Shield, that it was aimed against both the ISIL and People's Protection Units (YPG), a major component of the SDF, saying both ″terror groups that threaten our country in northern Syria″. [235] Opposition leader Selahattin Demirtas has said asked for Turkey and other countries to recognize Rojava and work with it as a partner. [502] The United States Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, said in an interview that Turkey “appears to be” committing war crimes in Syria, adding that there was footage showing the execution of Kurdish captives. [436], In early 2016, the King of Jordan, Abdullah, said that the Turkish president "believes in a radical Islamic solution to the problems in the region" and the "fact that terrorists are going to Europe is part of Turkish policy, and Turkey keeps getting a slap on the hand, but they get off the hook". Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and President Erdogan blamed a Syrian Kurdish militia fighter working with Kurdish militants inside Turkey for a suicide car bombing, and vowed retaliation in both Syria and Iraq. [530][536] Video footage shows Russian soldiers and journalists touring a base that the US left behind. 1 Orlan-10 drone shot down[106], Foreign intervention in behalf of Syrian Rebels, Turkey's involvement in the Syrian civil war began diplomatically and later escalated militarily. 344 soldiers killed [85] [c][94]20 captured. [551][552][553], Russia and Syria escalated their attacks against rebel forces in Idlib. [481] Sadik Al Hiseni, the head of the security committee in the city of Diyala in Iraq, says they have arrested several Turkish tankers trying to take ISIS oil out of the province of Salahuddin. [170] Turkish media agencies, on the other hand, denied this and stated that it was a scheme of the Chinese government to promise a holy cause and new lands to Uyghur forces with Islamic tendencies, which would eventually be cited by the government as the reason for more oppressive policies towards the Uyghur people. Human Rights Watch states in its report that as of November 18 over 2,000 civilians were still in the Tel Shair corridor section of the mine belt due to the fact that Turkey had been refusing entry for cars or livestock, and the refugees did not want to leave behind their belongings. [466], On 9 October 2019, Brett McGurk, the former US envoy for the global coalition to counter the ISIS tweeted that Turkey “foreclosed any serious cooperation on ISIS even as 40k foreign fighters flowed through its territory into Syria.”[467], According to documents revealed in 2019, the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) was secretly transported ammunition and fighters into Syria with buses in 2015. [281], After two days of heated debate, the motion passed 298–98. [165], On 5 May 2017, Mehmet Görmez, the Turkish president of religious affairs, met with Harith al-Dhari,[166] an Iraqi Sunni cleric who was designated by the Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee as an "individual associated with al-Qaeda" in 2010. ", "The Rise of Jaysh al-Fateh in Northern Syria", "Turkey accused of shelling Kurdish-held village in Syria", "Turkey strikes Kurdish city of Afrin northern Syria, civilian casualties reported", "Turkey's Syria Intervention: A Sign of Weakness Not Strength", "Germany warns Turkey from attacking Kurds in Syria", "US backing ensures Arab-Kurd alliance in Syria will survive", "Statement by SASC Chairman John McCain on Turkish Government Attacks on Syrian Kurds", "The Tin-Foil Hats Are Out in Turkey. [366], On 1 November 2016, the day Iraqi forces entered Mosul in the Battle of Mosul (2016–17) against ISIL, Turkey announced it was sending tanks and artillery from Ankara to Silopi near the Iraqi border. [433] Later, he forced to apologize over his remarks. [439] In 2015, Greek Cypriot Intelligence Agency chief said that people in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus could be helping members of the ISIL militant group travel between Europe and Syria. [143][144] The poll also found that 47.5% of Turks see the Free Syrian Army as an "enemy". In April 2016, factions of the SDF formed the Manbij Military Council. ", "Turkey's 'Open Border' Policy With Syria Has Backfired As ISIS Recruitment Continues", "New report further exposes Turkey links to ISIL militants", "Turkey paying price for jihadist highway on border", "US deal with Turkey over Isis may go beyond simple use of an airbase", "War with Isis: Obama demands Turkey closes stretch of border with Syria", "Syria al Shihabi we have decisive evidence on turkeys involvement in robbing factories in Aleppo", "Assad calls Erdogan a 'thief' in rare visit to Idlib front line", "Answer to Question No E-005877/14, E-006115/14", "Turkey's relationship with ISIS proves it's deserting its European allies", "Turkey sends in jets as Syria's agony spills over every border", "Israeli defence minister accuses Turkey of buying IS oil", "A Path to ISIS, Through a Porous Turkish Border", "Anyone but US! "[430], At January 2016, The Guardian obtained documents which show that ISIL ran a sophisticated immigration operation through the Syrian border town of Tell Abyad with Turkey until its defeat by Kurds. In December 2020, Turkish court sentenced to prison 27 people because they stopped the MIT trucks in 2014. - 2000s - The Rise and Fall of Trade, Investment and Integration 159. [242] On 11 October, Turkish President Erdogan denounced the protests, stating that they were attacking Turkey's "peace, stability, and environment of trust." But I remember that at the time, I was just to glad to be finished. A four-way summit on Syria will be in Turkey, Putin’s Envoy Tells Assad Russia Supports ‘Recapturing All Syrian Territories’, Intel: How Russia is changing course in Syria, Press release on Russian officials’ meeting with President of Syria Bashar al-Assad, UAE OFFICIALLY BACKS SYRIA'S ASSAD TO WIN WAR, Astana round begins with a meeting between the meeting sponsors, Names of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn, Khorasan Province (Afghanistan and Pakistan), Central Africa Province (DR Congo and Mozambique), Northern Aleppo offensive (February–July 2014), February 2015 Egyptian airstrikes in Libya, Hama and Homs offensive (March–April 2015), Al-Hasakah city offensive (May–June 2015), Ithriyah-Raqqa offensive (February–March 2016), Battle of al-Qaryatayn (March–April 2016), Northern Aleppo offensive (March–June 2016), Northern al-Bab offensive (September 2016), Western al-Bab offensive (September 2016), Aleppo offensive (November–December 2016), Deir ez-Zor offensive (January–February 2017), East Aleppo offensive (January–April 2017), Syrian Desert campaign (December 2016–April 2017), Eastern Syria campaign (September–December 2017), Northwestern Syria campaign (October 2017–February 2018), Persecution of gay and bisexual men by ISIL, Connection with Saddam Regime and Baath Party, Al-Hasakah Governorate campaign (2012–2013), Rif Dimashq offensive (Nov 2012-Feb 2013), East Ghouta inter-rebel conflict (Apr-May), September Urum al-Kubra aid convoy attack, Syrian Liberation Front–Tahrir al-Sham conflict, Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region, National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change, International demonstrations and protests, First Northern Syria Demilitarization Deal, Second Northern Syria Demilitarization Deal, Fourth Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, International recognition of the Syrian National Council, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Turkish_involvement_in_the_Syrian_civil_war&oldid=1022527422, Turkish involvement in the Syrian civil war, Battles involving the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and Turkey, Foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Articles lacking reliable references from January 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2020, Articles containing Turkish-language text, Articles lacking reliable references from October 2020, Wikipedia articles in need of updating from November 2018, All Wikipedia articles in need of updating, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 11 May 2021, at 00:39. [556] Erdogan said that Turkey was working to settle one million people in the cities of Tal Abyad and Ras Al-Ain in northern Syria. Feridun Sinirlioğlu had reportedly told his American interlocutors that it was more important to focus on the "chaos" that Assad has created instead of groups such as al-Nusra. He said Turkey allowed its borders to be used as a conduit for aid, weapons and volunteers and did nothing to distinguish between "moderate" groups and extremists. ", "Turkish trucks carrying ISIS oil captured in Iraq", "Iraq PM says Turkey main conduit for Islamic State oil-smuggling", "No evidence Turkey wants to fight ISIS: Iraq PM", "Amnesty: Turkey illegally sending Syrians back to war zone", "Turkey Has Forcibly Returned Thousands of Refugees to Syria, Amnesty International Says", "Turkey 'illegally returning Syrian refugees' - Amnesty", "Turkey denies using force against Syrian refugees", "Syrian refugees beaten, shot by Turkish border guards: rights group", "Syrian refugees should not be used as bribe for visa-free travel, says EP", "Turkish Foreign Ministry rejects claims of killings on Syrian border", "Syrian monitors: Turkish security kill eight", "Turkish border guards are shooting Syrian refugees fleeing war, says Human Rights Watch", "Turkish border guards are shooting at Syrian refugees, rights group says", "HRW: Turkish landmines killing Syrian civilians fleeing Kobani", "Turkey's Erdogan threatens to 'open the gates' for migrants to Europe", "American Isis suspect stuck on border 'not our problem', says Erdoğan", "Al-Jaafari: US and Turkish governments set fire to agrarian crops in Syria", "Syria: Damning evidence of war crimes and other violations by Turkish forces and their allies", "Turkish forces commit war crimes in Syria offensive - fresh evidence", "Evidence found of war crimes during Turkish offensive in Syria, says U.S. official", "Esper: Turkey 'appears to be' committing war crimes in northern Syria", "Esper: Reported executions by Turkish forces in Syria may be 'war crimes, "IBAHRI condemns Turkish military operation in northern Syria", "Syria conflict: The 'war crimes' caught in brutal phone footage", "U.S. Drones Appear to Show Turkish-Backed Forces Targeting Civilians in Syria", "US has surveillance video of a possible war crime by Turkish-backed forces in Syria", "Russia, Turkey may have committed war crimes in Syria: UN", "UN urges Turkey to investigate possible war crimes in north Syria", "Iranian broadcaster raises suspicions about death of reporter on Syrian border", "US-Lebanese reporter dies in Turkey, Iranian TV calls accident 'suspicious, "Family suspects foul play in death of US journalist in Turkey", "Turkish journalist stripped of parental rights over court coverage: lawyer", "Syrian antiquities chief says Turkey refuses to return looted art", "ISIL smuggles Syrian antiquities through Turkey", "Turkey investigating Russian claims on smuggled Syrian antiquities", "Did there remain monuments in Afrin that were not stolen by Turkey? [468], In 2019, the United States Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on Turkish individuals and companies for providing financial support to the ISIS. Prior to 1998, relations between Turkey and Syria were difficult. [473] [539] Meanwhile, several commentators in Moscow have stated that the situation is not in the immediate Russian interests, as the Turkish intervention in Syria clashes with Russia's backing of the Syrian government in the region, but it may provide opportunities for Russia as mediator as the US withdraws from Syria. At the beginning of the Syrian Civil War, Turkey trained defectors of the Syrian Army on its territory, and in July 2011, a group of them announced the birth of the Free Syrian Army, under the supervision of Turkish intelligence. [438], In 2014, Cypriot Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulidis, questioned Turkey's determination to fight ISIS. [263] On 19 February Turkish artillery units shelled again PYD targets in northern Syria. [197][198] Among those injured were twelve foreign tourists. In less than a decade, relations were transformed from enmity to amity. [130] On 24 August 2016, the Turkish Armed Forces began a direct military intervention into Syria by declaring Operation Euphrates Shield, mainly targeting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. [191] 32 people were killed in the town of Suruç's municipal culture center in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, and at least 100 people were hospitalised. The SDF managed to take the town of Amarinah from the FSA after a brief firefight. - and Political Confrontations in the Euphrates and Tigris Region 145. A USA senior official said in the Wall Street Journal "The game has changed. The national Syrian government sent representatives to northeast Syria to meet with local groups there in order to address their concerns and to emphasize unity and combined effort to address problems. [525], In October 2019, in response to the Turkish offensive, Russia arranged for negotiations between the Syrian government in Damascus and the Kurdish-led forces. [486][487][488], On May 10, 2016, Human Rights Watch said Turkish border guards were shooting and beating Syrian refugees trying to reach Turkey, resulting in deaths and serious injuries. There's an extensive surface transport network which is highly regulated and controlled ... on both sides of the border." [474] [290] The idea of going into Syria proved extremely unpopular with most sections of Turkish society, dissuading the government from invading. Islamic State Emirs Killed By Turkish Warplanes In Syria", "Turkey 'neutralizes' ISIL's political leader in al-Bab - World News", "Syria: Turkey Hits Islamic State of Iraq Convoy Near Border – EA WorldView", "Two killed as rockets from Syria hit southern Turkish town – mayor", "Turkish military chopper crashes in northern Syria", "Turkish F-16 fighter destroyed a helicopter "Black hawk, "erdogan says turkish military helicopter shot down during afrin operation in syria", "Turkish UAVs played leading role in Idlib battle", "Drone crash | Russian forces shoot down Turkish reconnaissance drone flying over rural Ain Al-Arab (Kobani) • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights", "Syrian air defenses shot down a Turkish attack UAV Bayraktar TB2", "Armor: Turkish Leopards Find Redemption", "Erdogan says 3,747 terrorists 'neutralized' in Afrin op", "What kind of success did Turkey achieve in Syria? Approximately 3.6 million refugees have entered Turkey since the beginning of the civil war in Syria in 2011, the highest number in the region. [582], A new round of meetings for the Astana summit process took place in the Kazakh capital Nur Sultan. [194] Another 500 people were injured. On December 9, Russian troops entered Raqqa and began distributing humanitarian aid. [350], On 28 October 2018, one day after a summit with the heads of state of France, Germany, Russia and Turkey,[351] Turkey started shelling targets in northern Syria. The normalization of relations started in late 2004, when the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan flew to Damascus to sign a free trade agreement. [298], Turkey shelled Syrian Kurdish forces in the region during all the week before the attack, determined not to let them fill the vacuum if ISIS leaves. [314], As the deadline to withdraw to the initial de-escalation lines behind the Turkish observation points, previously set by Turkish President Erdoğan to halt the Syrian regime assault in Idlib Governorate, ended by the end of February. [469][470], Turkey's state intelligence agency, MIT were said by Turkish judicial sources talking to Reuters that it was helping to deliver arms to parts of Syria under Islamist rebel control during late 2013 and early 2014. [237], On 1 July 2016, Turkish and Russian foreign ministers said that the two countries will "coordinate" their policies over Syria. [389], During an International Syria Support Group (ISSG) meeting in Vienna on May 17, 2016, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that if Moscow has any evidence that shows Turkey helping the ISIL then he would resign. [298][301][302] It was the first time Turkish warplanes have struck in Syria since November 2015, when Turkey downed the Russian warplane, and the first significant incursion by Turkish special forces since a brief operation to relocate the tomb of Suleyman Shah, in February 2015. [183], On August 25, 2015, the Turkish newspaper Bugün ran a front-page story, illustrated with video stills, about what it said was the transfer, under the observation of Turkish border guards, of weapon and explosives from Turkey to ISIL through the Akcakale border post. Relations between Turkey–Syria Astana Platform. Though private companies provide the actual transportation, the Islamic State bureaucracy is responsible for authorising and overseeing the routes," he said. [401][402] Syrian Kurds and Turkey's main Kurdish party, HDP, said Turkey was allowing ISIL soldiers to cross its border and attack the Kurdish town of Kobanî in late 2014. Signing of Adana Agreement on October 20, 1998 marked a turning point in relations. [578], At a meeting in Damascus, Russian and Syrian officials clearly stated their support for Syria regaining control over all of its territory. During the attack, a group of ISIL fighters were seen atop granary silos on the Turkish side of the border. While Turkey supported armed opposition factions and was involved in military clashes with the Syrian regime in late February and early March 2020, Russia backed the regime and its intervention in Syria was the main factor preventing the regime from an inevitable downfall. The main center for the smuggling of cultural heritage items is the Turkish city of Gaziantep, where the stolen goods are sold at illegal auctions. Syrian opposition activists convened in Istanbul in May 2011 to discuss regime change,[140] and Turkey hosted the head of the Free Syrian Army, Colonel Riad al-Asaad. Contentious issues included Syria’s claims over Hatay, disputes over water and Syria’s support to PKK terrorist organization. [451], Columbia University assigned a team of researchers in the United States, Europe, and Turkey to examine Turkish and international media assessing the credibility of allegations and published a research paper entitled "ISIS-Turkey Links". But if we have to choose between compromises and the genocide of our people, we will surely choose life for our people. "[262], On February 25, Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said that Turkey would not comply with the truce: "This deal is not binding for us when a party is of threat to Turkey, when Turkey's security is at stake".[386]. On Feb. 24, Turkish president, Erdoğan, during a speech said that "The PYD and the YPG need to be out of the scope of the cease-fire, just like Daesh (ISIL) is,". [491], Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces stated that 8 or 11[492] Syrians refugees were killed by Turkish security forces on the night of June 18, 2016, as they attempted to cross the border into Turkey. [407][408][409] A former ISIS member mentioned that the ISIS groups were given free rein by Turkey's army. Despite on-going international and European Union financial and humanitarian support, this ever-increasing refugee presence has resulted in heightened social tensions in Turkey. [236][237], With the Turkish government thinking that a declaration was enough, and with only a minimum of western airstrikes helping the defenders of Kobanî, ISIL troops edged closer to the city, eventually entering it from the south and east. [562], It appeared that Turkey was withdrawing all of its forces away from the al-Shirkark silos, which hold important supplies of wheat, this seemed to be a result of Russian mediation. [200] On 22 March, the Turkish interior minister said that the bomber had links with ISIL. Turkey proposed a safe zone where Syrian refugees could be relocated, but this idea did not receive support from all parties. [455], In February 2016, US urged Turkey to stop the shelling of the Kurds and focus on fighting the ISIL. Talal Silo (spokesperson for the SDF, defected in 2017), Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi † Abu Ali al-Anbari † Yunus Durmaz †[40]ISIL leader in Turkey, Gaziantep, Turkey 256-313 servicemen killed Turkey is required under the Mine Ban Treaty, to destroy all antipersonnel mines, but has missed deadlines. The Turkish Foreign Ministry denied the statements. Any test of wills between Syria and Turkey has had general implications for the way that those states, and others as well, have seen the utility of alliance with its respective superpower patron. Why they commit terrorist acts across the world, including in the heart of Europe,". The military operations have resulted in the Turkish occupation o… What is happening in al-Shirkark silos in Ain Issa district? [485], According to The Jerusalem Post, Turkey was selling the oil and sharing some of the earnings with ISIS. [394], On 14 July 2016, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has said that al-Assad must go before any change in Turkey's stance regarding Syria. "They are being analysed at the moment, but the links are already so clear that they could end up having profound policy implications for the relationship between us and Ankara. As Turkey and the United States bicker over Turkey’s purchase of an S-400 air defense system from Russia and its cooperation with Moscow in Syria, it is fair to ask whether Turkey … [566], Meanwhile, various Kurdish faction that were historical rivals began to meet in order to work together more. No evidence has been provided for these assertions, which were refuted by the United Nations. [339] In a 21 October report from Jarabulus, the Financial Times assessed Turkish aims towards the SDF and as a conclusion quoted that "Mr Erdoğan is very good at perceptions. [576] Meanwhile, there were concerns in NATO about Turkey's growing closeness with Russia. He said that he tried to persuade the Turkish government to close its borders to the groups, but to no avail. - 13 The Political Economy of Turkish-Syrian Relations in the. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that he rejected it due to the presence of Syria's president Bashar al-Assad. [418] American website Al-Monitor stated in June 2014 that Turkey, during the Syrian Civil War, by "ignoring its own border security", had allowed its Syrian border to become a "jihadist highway" for ISIL to let thousands of international jihadists, and other supplies, reach Syria. Some Turkish politicians also regard refugees as a security threat – a trend that has grown since September 2019 when the Turkish military began Operation Peace Spring in north-east Syria, with the aim of containing the Kurds and creating a 'safe zone' to which Syrian refugees could return. [409] After the 2015 attacks at Paris, President Barack Obama administration told the Turkish government to close its borders to ISIS fighters. [336] As a consequence of the continuing Turkish threats, on 4 October the SDF spokesman explicitly ruled out any Turkish participation in the upcoming joint military operation of the SDF and the CJTF–OIR to capture Raqqa from ISIL.