Preparations under way to begin offensive on Islamic State held Mosul in Iraq

Preparations are under way for an offensive to liberate the city of Mosul occupied by the Islamic State (IS). As part of the preparations, a military camp is being built near the Mosul Dam.

France has been active against the IS after deadly attacks by the group in France. It has recently launched airstrikes on Mosul but has also deployed special forces to Iraq and is arming the Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi forces. There are some 150 French forces training Iraqi forces and conducting tactical missions. There are also numerous US special forces in the Mosul area helping to prepare for the battle. The US has increased its troop numbers in Iraq to more than 5,000.

France's defense minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said as the French conducted air strikes on Friday: “The battle for Mosul has not started yet. (The operations today) are the extension of our support for the coalition.There will soon be the main attack.”

IS captured Mosul back in June of 2014 and remains the biggest prize still held by the group. The city is already being encircled by Kurdish and Iraqi forces who are backed by US and French airstrikes and have captured considerable territory surrounding the city of more than a million people. The operation is expected to begin this month. While Iraqi forces will definitely spearhead the offensive, the role of Kurdish forces and Iraqi Shia militias is not clear. Many of the Iraqi forces are Sunnis from Mosul. If Kurdish Peshmerga and Shia militia are used there could be tensions between them and the inhabitants of Mosul.

To complicate the matter further, Turkish president, Recep Erdogan, claimed that Turkish troops would also play a role in the offensive:“We will play a role in the Mosul liberation operation and no one can prevent us from participating." He also complained that there were attempts to allow the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to participate in the fight but said that Turkey would never accept that. Erdogan also claims that the offensive against Mosul is set for October 19. Turkish troops are on a training mission in an area on the northern outskirts of Mosul. They are training Sunni tribal forces for the liberation of Mosul. The number of Turkish troops were increased last December. Baghdad insists that the Turkish troops were in Iraq without the permission of the Iraqi government.

The presence of the Turkish troops is resented by many Iraqi Shiites. This Sunday,. Qassim al-Tai, a Shiite cleric issued a fatwa (order) demanding that Iraqis fight the Turkish troops claiming this was a "religious and moral duty". He said that Turkish companies and goods should also be boycotted. On October 1st the Turkish parliament had authorized Turkish troops to stay in Iraq and Syria for another year. Preparations for the upcoming offensive are described in some detail in this article.

Turks do not want Kurds involved in offensive to take Raqqa from the Islamic State

Turkey does not want the U.S.-backed offensive to take the Syrian Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa by relying on Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia.

Turkish president, Recep Erdogan, said that Turkey could join the U.S.-led operation but only if Kurdish fighters were not involved. Turkey considers the Kurdish YPG and its associated Kurdish Democratic Union party as a terrorist group with links to Kurdish rebel insurgents within Turkey. The U.S., on the other hand, regards the group as among the most effective at fighting against the Islamic State and have provided them with support. This has created tension between the U.S. and Turkey.

Turkey said that if the operation were conducted with the YPG there would be no place in the operation for Turkish forces. Erdogan told reporters:"If they do not insert the PYD and YPG into this business, then certainly, we can get [involved] with the U.S. in this fight." He said it would be a shame if the U.S. and Turkey could not themselves counter the estimated 10,000 Islamic State fighters in Syria. He also called for a "national army" of Syrian rebel groups to maintain security in the region claiming that there were at least 65,000 rebel fighters able to do so. However, U.S. general Joe Dunford said just a week ago that the U.S. was considering arming Syrian Kurdish forces before the Raqqa offensive.

Turkey, a NATO member as well as a member of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State, last month launched a ground operation to aid Turkish supported rebels oust the IS from a border town and surrounding area. However, there was some fighting with the YPG as well. A video describing the operation is appended.

A Turkish official claims that using the Kurds would result in prolonged ethnic conflict in the area. Since the town is predominantly Arab, the official suggested that Arab fighters should be the core of any offensive force. The official said; "Raqqa is an Arab city with a million people. If you carry out an operation to this city with 7,000-8,000 Kurdish forces, you would trigger a sectarian battle. That conflict would enflame all our border region." The U.S. has been having talks about a possible joint offensive with Turkey to take Raqqa.

Turkey does not want the Kurds to remain in territory west of the Euphrates river. While some Kurdish troops have withdrawn, some YPG fighters still remain in Manjbi which is west of the Euphrates. The Kurds already control an area further to the west along the Turkish border and the Turks fear that the Kurds might try to link the area with the rest of Syria that the Kurds control.

Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, echoed Erdogan's warning about using Kurds in the Raqqa offensive. He said that the offensive should include other U.S.-supported rebels and those supported by Turkey but not Kurds. He criticized the U.S. for its ongoing cooperation with the YPG. After the YPG captured the city of Manjbi, the Turks demanded they withdraw. Some have, but Cavusoglu complained that others still remained. Turkey has also talked of expelling "terrorists" from along the entire border a threat covering Kurds east of the Euphrates and an enclave further to the west.

Islamic State oil goes to many different places

While the Islamic State finances itself in a number of different ways, it has long generated revenue from oil it produces in fields it has captured in both Iraq and Syria.

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The issue has become more topical as Russian defense minister Anatoly Antonov showed satellite images he claims showed tanker trucks freely crossing the Syrian border into Turkey: "Mr Antonov also said Russia had seen evidence that Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his family are linked to ISIS oil." More details of the alleged relationship of the Erdogan family to ISIS oil exports can be found here. Bilal Erdogan, a son of president Erdogan, is said to be involved in trading ISIS oil through his shipping business. The appended video also discusses the issue. Zero Hedge wrote an interesting article after the Paris attacks but before the Turkish downing of the Russian jet:"The Most Important Question About ISIS That Nobody Is Asking" in which we asked who is the one "breaching every known law of funding terrorism when buying ISIS crude, almost certainly with the tacit approval by various "western alliance" governments, and why is it that these governments have allowed said middleman to continue funding ISIS for as long as it has?"

The West could easily simply bomb the oil wells but the wells would be a great benefit to any future government. Attacking the oil wells often run by locals and providing jobs could generate more support for ISIS. Some refineries have been put out of commission but there are still many small units operating. According to an AP account from Iraqi officials:IS sells the crude to smugglers for discounted prices, sometimes $35 per barrel but as low as $10 a barrel in some cases, compared to just under $50 a barrel on international markets, four Iraqi intelligence officials told the AP in separate interviews. The smugglers in turn sell to middlemen in Turkey, they said. The oil used to be smuggled in fleets of giant tankers but, fearing airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition, smaller tankers are being used now. The Iraqi officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the press.

The Guardian provides a map of ISIS oil in Iraq and where it goes. Much of it goes to Turkey through Syria but some goes to Iraqi Kurdistan or through that area to Syria and on to Turkey. Apparently the oil is bought right at the fields. Many of the smugglers want to sell the crude as close to where they are as they can so they can return quickly for more oil, Some however ship longer distances. A smuggler who was a former intelligence officer under Saddam Hussein said that he bought an oil tanker carrying 26 to 28 tonnes of oil for $4,200 and sold it in Jordan for $15,000. He lives in the Jordanian capital Amman. It cost about $650 dollars to bribe corrupt border officials.

The Financial Times has a map that covers ISIS controlled fields in Syria as well as Iraq and also describes the process by which the oil is sold, refined, and marketed in different areas. The map shows smuggling routes into Turkey. One is in an ISIS-controlled area but there are a number of others in areas controlled by rebels. The article claims most of the oil is actually used to satisfy the demand in ISIS-controlled areas but is also smuggled into rebel areas. Some may also be bought in government controlled areas. Little is said in the article about exporting the oil except to say that this has declined because the price of oil is so cheap on the international market.

The U.S. State Department rejected the Russian suggestion that Turkey was cooperating with ISIS to smuggle oil. Yet Toner, the department spokesperson, admitted there was smuggling of oil into Turkey: State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a news briefing that U.S. information was that ISIS was selling oil at the wellheads to middlemen who in turn were involved in smuggling the oil across the frontier into Turkey.But how is it that Turkey manages to allow a stream of oil tankers to cross the border as appears to be the case in the satellite photos? The oil still came from ISIS and they profited from the original sale,

The allies could have stopped the flow earlier by bombing the tankers. The U.S. only started to bomb the tankers in mid-November after Russia announced Russian planes would begin bombing them, as they called them a "living pipeline." The U.S. noted that the drivers of the trucks were not ISIS fighters but Syrians trying to make a living. The Russians appear not to be concerned about that. Now the Americans are bombing the tankers too.

Turklsh president Erdogan risks civil war in hopes of winning majority in elections

While Turkey is facing huge economic problems and increasing civil strife, President Recep Erdogan seems intent on creating more conflict in order to boost his chance of forming a majority in an election that is expected to be called soon.

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According to an article in the Independent, Erdogan is being encouraged by his prime minister:Egged on by a delusion of neo-Ottoman grandeur, created by his former foreign minister and now prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, Erdogan has been intent on creating what many see as his own caliphate, but was blocked in the June election by the Kurdish HDP (Peoples’ Democratic Party).

While Turkey recently agreed to join the battle against the Islamic State and has allowed the US to use a Turkish base for bombing raids into Syria and Iraq, at the same time Erdogan has mounted an offensive against the Kurdish Worker's Party(PKK) in Iraq and also Turkey as described in a recent Digital Journal article.

The HDP achieved a breakthrough in June elections winning 80 of the 550 seats in the Turkish parliament and depriving Erdogan of the votes needed to amend the Turkish constitution so as to give the president more executive power. Erdogan has been trying unsuccessfully to form a coalition government. It appears now that he will instead try to ramp up nationalist sentiment to ensure that he has a majority in elections that may be called in November.

Erdogan has completely changed his direction on the Kurdish question. In 2005 Erodgan was the first Turkish leader to openly acknowledge that there was a Kurdish problem in Turkey. Secret talks were held between Turkish intelligence and the PKK regarded in Turkey as a terrorist organization. The imprisoned leader of the PKK called for a ceasefire two years ago. There was even a ten-point peace plan agreed to by the government and the PKK the end of February this year. Yet, by mid-March Erdogan was again claiming Turkey never had a Kurdish problem and in July after the election he turned his back on the agreement. Now with recent bombings and revenge attacks by the PKK the whole peace process is in tatters.

While Erdogan resides in luxury in his new palace the Turkish economy is going down the drain. The Turkish lira is daily hitting new lows against the US dollar as confidence in the government wanes as it becomes clear that Erdogan will not form a coalition government and intends to ramp up the battle against the Kurds in order to discredit the Kurdish party that thwarted his ambition to change the constitution. Erdogan is willing to foster civil strife in the hopes that Turkish nationalist sentiment will rise giving him the majority he wants in the next elections. None of this impresses potential investors in Turkey, who want stability now and a solution to the Kurdish problem.

Violence and conflict between the Turkish government and the PKK has been escalating. At the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul assailants tossed a grenade at a guard and then opened fire sparking a gun battle in the middle of Turkey's largest city. In another attack in a southeastern province 8 soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb. The attack was blamed on the PKK.

In another development the PKK announced that it has formed a democratic autonomous region in Dersim province. It established checkpoints on the main road in the province last Tuesday. The group released a video showing PKK fighters controlling the road and searching vehicles. In the video, a PKK fighter claims that under the right of self-defense the group had declared democratic autonomy for the region. Warfare has already begun in Silopi, a remote southeastern city as masked militants and Turkish security forces join battle in the city. Silopi is on a border where Turkey, Syria, and Iraq meet. The majority of the estimated 15 million Kurds in Turkey live mostly in cities throughout southeastern Turkey. Militants are taking the battle from attacks on remote military outposts to urban neighbourhoods in Kurd majority areas creating a situation that begins to look more and more like a civil war in some areas. The lust for power has changed Erdogan from being a reformer who appeared to be leading Turkey forward to become a stable, democratic, inclusive country into an autocrat willing to risk creating chaos and ethnic strife with the sole purpose of creating more political power for himself and his cronies. The appended video gives the Russian view on the situation.

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US angry at Turkish bombing of PKK Kurds in Iraq

Recently relations between the U.S. and Turkey seemed greatly improved as Turkey joined the battle against the Islamic State and allowed U.S. planes to use a Turkish air base to launch operations against the Islamic State.

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However, at the same time as Turkey joined the battle against the Islamic State, it also began attacks against the Kurdish Kurdistan Workers' Party(PKK) group in northern Iraq and within Turkey. A ceasefire between the PKK and Turkey is shattered and Turkey now faces attacks within Turkey from both the PKK and the Islamic State as well as other radical groups.Turkey has been in conflict with the PKK since the early 1980s but is also attacking a different Kurdish group in northern Syria, the YPG.

A Turkish pro-Kurd party did very well in recent Turkish elections and President Recep Erdogan's party lost its majority. Erdogan is now using the internal attacks and the battle against IS and the PKK as a means of building up support. Polls show the strategy to be working as he is building up enough support to again win a majority government should he call a snap election. So far he has been unable to form a coalition government. However, Erdogan risks plunging Turkey into a period of increasing unrest and violence as well as creating tension with allies such as the United States.

U.S. military leaders are very worried about the Turkish military strikes against Iraqi Kurdistan. There are U.S. forces in the area who are training Kurdish Peshmerga. The bombing can only strain relations between the U.S. and the Kurds who are key allies in the U.S. battle against the Islamic State. The U.S. refuses to tell Turkey exactly where its troops are in Kurdistan but has listed large areas the Turks should avoid bombing. However, Turkey has responded by giving the U.S. 10 minutes advanced notice when its planes are headed into the area, warning them to get out of the way. A Turkish strike on July 24th in Iraq caused concern in the Combined Air and Space Operation the allied headquarters in the war against the Islamic State as they had such short notice of what would happen.

Although there are growing international calls to return to the ceasefire with the PKK that lasted for two years, Erdogan has stepped up attacks with 17 different strikes the other day. PKK leaders recently expressed support for a return to the ceasefire. Erdogan however said Turkey will continue a relentless war until there is not one Kurdish terrorist left in the country. There is almost no chance of that happening. What Erdogan really hopes for is another majority government in the near future. He can continue his authoritarian and counter-productive crackdown on opposition forces as well as complicate relations with Turkish allies.

Turkey attacks the Islamic State but also Kurds in northern Iraq

Washington has long urged Turkey to intervene against the Islamic State in Syria. After a suicide bombing that killed 32 people in Turkey, Turkish planes have targeted IS locations in Syria for two consecutive days now.

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If the Turks had simply bombed IS positions the US would no doubt have been quite pleased but Turkish planes also targeted shelters and storage sites belonging to the Kurdistan Worker's Party in seven different locations in northern Iraq. While the US has yet to make a statement on the Iraq attacks the PKK has said that conditions for peace talks with the Turkish government are no longer in place. Turkey had embarked on peace talks with the PKK in 2012, and the PKK had declared a cease fire in 2013. The Kurds in northern Iraq including the PKK units have been instrumental in defending the area against the Islamic State and even retaking some territory. In attacking the PKK, Turkey is attacking an ally in the fight against the Islamic State as far as the US is concerned. Turkey is very concerned about Kurdish gains both in Iraq and in Syria. It worries that an independent Kurdistan might be formed in northern Syria and that the Kurdish area of Iraq also becomes independent. There would be pressure within Turkey to join these other Kurdish areas.

In recent elections in Turkey the Kurds gained considerable ground politically. While there is conflict between the PKK and less radical Kurdish groups, an attack on the PKK may actually help promote a unified position against President Erdogan. Turkish actions may result in many more attacks by the Islamic State and perhaps also attacks by the PKK within Turkey. While bombing Islamic State positions helps in the battle against IS, bombing the PKK in iraq does exactly the opposite.

Washington may have agreed not to object to Turkish bombing of the PKK in return for Turkey joining the war against the Islamic State. However, Turkey made another important concession to the US. For months, the Obama administration has been negotiating an agreement to use bombers and drones to operate from air bases at Incirlik and Diyarbakir. An administration official said that the deal was sealed by a phone call between Turkish president Recep Erdogan and US president Obama. No official announcement has yet been made but, John Kirby, a State Department spokesperson, said simply that the US and Turkey had "decided to further deepen our cooperation in the fight against ISIL". Fadi Hakura, a Turkey analyst in London said: "The use of the Turkish air base is extremely important. Before, the U.S. had to traverse 1,000 miles to target IS in Syria. Now it will be much less, so naturally the air campaign will be far more intense and far more effective."

Turkey is in the process of clamping down on IS suspects and PKK militants. Erdogan will use increased attacks in Turkey to impose even more draconian anti-terror measures. He may very well tar any significant opposition to his rule as related to terror threats as has been done In Egypt and elsewhere. President Assad of Syria has made no statement about the Turkish bombings inside Syria.

Turkey may create buffer zone on its border with Syria

Turkish president Recep Erdogan, in an anti-Kurdish speech, said that he would not allow the formation of a separate Kurdish state in Syria. There are reports he is ordering the military to carve out a buffer zone to prevent IS and Kurdish advances.

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In his speech Erdogan said: “I am saying this to the whole world: We will never allow the establishment of a state on our southern border in the north of Syria. We will continue our fight in that respect whatever the cost may be.”He also accused the Kurds of ethnic cleansing in the areas they control. If Turkey attacks the Kurds to create a buffer zone, this will cause tension with the U.S. that has backed the Kurds in their fight against the Islamic State and enabled them to regain territory such as the border town of Kobane. The move might also be seen by the US as bolstering the Islamic State. The priority of Turkey is the fight against Assad rather than defeating the Islamic State whereas the U.S. priority appears to be to defeat IS.

Haaretz reports that the Turkish military has been instructed to prepare itself to create a 110-km-long, 33-km-deep buffer zone along its border with Syria to counter IS and Kurdish advances. The report was in the pro-government Yeni Safak newspaper. The decision perhaps has yet to be made — there are reports that the military is opposed to any such move. Erdogan is chairing a National Security Council meeting today (June 29) where he will be pushing his decision to create the zone. Turkey has long tried to persuade the U.S. to create a no-fly zone safe area in Syria.

Most in the west have cheered the Kurds on as they have gained ground from the Islamic State. They recently drove IS from Kobane once again with huge civilian losses after the group had infiltrated the town. Locals say up to 300 civilians were slaughtered before IS fighters were driven out. The Kurds have not fought against Assad most of the time and have been concerned with consolidating their control over areas they occupy and seizing more territory from the Islamic State when they are able. Turkey wants to defeat Assad and also is worried that having an autonomous or separate Kurdish state on its border would increase demands from its own Kurdish minority. In recent Turkish elections Turkey's 14 million Kurds made considerable gains.

Some analysts doubt that political circumstances are favourable for Erdogan's plan, as he still has not found a partner to form a coalition government after his recent setback in elections. General Ozel, the Turkish military chief of staff has actually delayed earlier directives asking him to intervene in Syria. He maintains that any such move might violate international law. The Telegraph reports that Erdogan has authorised a change in the rules of engagement previously agreed by the Turkish parliament to allow the army to strike at Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, as well as the Assad regime. He changed them so as to create the buffer zone which he says is mainly intended to prevent the emergence of a Kurdish state in the north. The move would also help to alleviate the continual flood of refugees across the border into Turkey. Refugees numbers are approaching two million making Turkey host to the largest number of refugees in the world.

Turkey and Saudis backing extremist rebels in Syria including Al-Qaeda-linked group

Turkey and Saudi Arabia are now openly backing Islamic extremists including the Al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra, part of the new coalition called the "Conquest Army."

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The leader of another radical group in the coalition Ahrar al-Sham claimed previously that his group was the "real Al-Qaeda." The U.S. is said to be concerned that the new alliance between Turkey and Saudi Arabia will end up replacing Assad with a militant Islamic government, precisely the type of result the U.S. wants to avoid. The U.S. focus is on degrading the Islamic State but it has also attacked the Nusra Front in Syria angering rebels of all stripes since the group has been forcefully attacking the Assad regime. While the U.S. is planning to train and arm moderate rebels that it has vetted, the Pentagon wants them to concentrate on attacking the Islamic State. Most rebels together with Turkey and Saudi Arabia and many other Arab states think the first order of business should be defeating the Assad regime forces.

Turkey and Saudi Arabia have often been at odds as to whom they should support among the rebels. Turkey favours groups linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, which Saudi Arabia opposes. Saudi Arabia has not officially supported radical groups at the urging of the U.S. However, both countries and others are fed up with the lack of U.S. action against Assad. Now the two countries are joined in support for radical groups that have already gained ground in Idlib province.

The present pact dates back to March, when Recep Erdogan, the Turkish president, flew to Saudi Arabia to meet the newly-crowned King Salman. In spite of differences over the Muslim Brotherhood, the Saudi king saw Turkey as an ally in his war against Iran and Shias in general that is evident in his leading in the bombing of the Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen as well. In Syria, Saudi money together with Turkish logistical support can be used to defeat the Assad forces. Assad's government is dominated by members of a Shia sect although a majority in Syria are Sunni. Joshua Landis, who directs the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma said:"It's a different world now in Syria, because the Saudi pocketbook has opened and the Americans can't tell them not to do it. It's quite clear that Salman has prioritized efforts against Iran over those against the Muslim Brotherhood."

The agreement has led to a new joint command center in the province of Idlib in northeast Syria. President Obama has not commented on the new Saudi-Turkish agreement. This is surprising since the alliance includes the Al Nusra Front, which is a target of the U.S. war on terror and has been bombed in Syria by the US. It is almost as if the US has accepted that there will be a dual fight in Syria. The U.S. will concentrate on aiding moderate rebels to tackle the Islamic State while the Saudis and Turks allied with radical Islamists will take on Assad's forces. Some in the media claim that Obama is taking a hands off approach and is disengaged. Yet he is arming and training moderate rebels and he is bombing the Islamic State constantly. What we are seeing is a dual thrust in Syria. and a division of tasks.

Some reports on the new alliance suggest even more involvement in Syria by Turkey and Saudi Arabia: "Turkey would provide ground troops supported by Saudi Arabian air strikes, to assist moderate Syrian opposition against the regime forces." The "moderate rebels" in this case involve Al-Qaeda linked Jabhat al-Nusra. The main Turkish opposition party also claims that Turkey is poised to send troops into Syria as soon as this weekend. The Turkish president has denied the claim as shown on the appended video. Conflict in Syria appears about to escalate and the tide could turn against Assad. Escalation is a dangerous move in an area that is already very unstable and filled with conflict. If Assad is overthrown, Syria may end up with numerous competing militias and a situation worse than Libya.

US and some allies considering buffer zone between Syria and Turkey

The U.S. and the UK say they are willing to look at the possibility of creating a "buffer zone" between Syria and Turkey. Meanwhile the Islamic State is continuing its assault on the border town of Kobane with fighting now taking place within the town .

John Kerry, US Secretary of State said: "The buffer zone... is an idea that's out there, it's worth examining, it's worth looking at very, very closely," He said that the millions of refugees who had fled Syria "should not be a problem which is thrust onto Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, where they bear an incredible burden." Kerry's remarks suggest not just a buffer zone between Turkey and Syria but between Lebanon and Syria, and Jordan and Syria as well. Kerry continued: "If Syrian citizens can return to Syria and be protected in an area across the border, there's a lot that would commend that. You'd have to guarantee safety, that there wouldn't be attacks by the government... so it needs a thorough examination. We're all in favour of looking at this very closely."
 The White House and also the US Department of Defense both claimed that a buffer zone was not a military option being considered at present. However, they did admit that the possibility was being discussed with Turkey:President Barack Obama's spokesman, Josh Earnest, said "it's not something that is under consideration right now", while Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said the buffer zone is "a topic of continued discussions". The idea of a buffer zone was first suggested by the the Turkish president Recep Erdogan and is also supported by France. The US has consistently refused to consider establishing a safe haven or buffer zone for Syrians fleeing the conflict. The US argues that it would be too difficult to set up and even more problematic to patrol, particularly since the US is unwilling to commit ground troops to the conflict.
 Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that US air strikes on Kobane have killed at least 45 Islamic State fighters since this Monday and forced them to partially withdraw from several streets they had occupied. The continuing onslaught is reported to have already killed more than 400 people. About 200,000 Syrians fled to shelter in Turkey exacerbating the humanitarian situation there.
 US officials travelled to Turkey to discuss the role of Turkey in the international coalition fighting the Islamic State. The issue of a buffer zone will be discussed at those meetings. The Turks have argued in favor of such a zone for several years already as they believe such a zone would help them deal with their huge refugee problems. Kerry's recent statements may indicate that the US may be considering changing their position on the issue which up to now has rejected a buffer zone. UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond also said of the buffer zone idea that he "certainly wouldn't want to rule it out." No details of such a zone were discussed by the UK or US. Turkey has requested a "no-fly zone" that would keep some of the territory bordering on Turkey from being attacked or bombed by the Assad regime's air force. This plan has zero relevance to the issue of the Islamic State attacks near the border, actions that at present are the prime source of the huge flow of refugees into Turkey.
Retired Marine General John Allen, who is the US special envoy in the fight against the Islamic State is to travel to Turkey on Thursday to see if Turkey will now take part in the fight against the Islamic State. The buffer zone idea will be part of his discussions with Turkish officials. Rear Admiral John Kirby press secretary at the Pentagon said that the US and Turkey have discussed the buffer zone proposal many times already but said: “It is now not on the table as a military option we are considering. That said, it is a topic of continuing discussion.”
 The US administration appears to be of two minds on the issue with Kerry appearing to support the idea but others noting that it is not now being considered as a military option. Kerry also seems to be lining up allies such as the UK and France to support the idea along with Turkey. The French President Francois Hollande issued a statement indicating his support for a buffer zone between Syria and Turkey to take in and protect refugees. Both Kerry and Hammond said that any buffer zone proposal would need to be carefully examined especially with other nations. They did not mention the Syrian regime ruled by Assad. As the appended video from two years ago shows, rebels themselves have tried to set up buffer zones to protect refugees.

Turkish PM walks out of Davos

One wonders why Peres was given 25 minutes to speak at Davos. Were the Palestinians given equal time! Apparently the Turkish response less than half that time was too much. Peres at least tried to cool things down afterwards.


Turkish PM gets hero's welcome after shouting match with Israeli leader
Last Updated: Friday, January 30, 2009 7:35 AM ET
CBC News

Thousands of jubilant supporters greeted the Turkish prime minister as he arrived home early Friday after a heated exchange with the Israeli president over his country's Gaza Strip offensive.
Over 5,000 people, many waving Turkish and Palestinian flags, gathered at Istanbul's Ataturk airport to welcome Recep Tayyip Erdogan when his plane touched down at 2 a.m.
Hours earlier, Erdogan clashed on stage with Israeli President Shimon Peres at a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
One banner held by a supporter outside the airport gate called him The Conqueror of Davos.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, talks to Israeli President Shimon Peres during a plenary session at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland on Thursday. (Alessandro Della Bella/Associated Press)
The two leaders butted heads over Israel's three-week offensive against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip in response to rocket attacks fired from the Palestinian territory. More than 1,300 Palestinians died in the conflict. Israel lost 10 soldiers and three civilians.
Peres had asked the panel what others would do if they were in Israel's position and bombarded with nightly rocket attacks.
"You kill people," Erdogan told the 85-year-old Israeli leader. "I remember the children who died on beaches. I remember two former prime ministers who said they felt very happy when they were able to enter Palestine on tanks."
Erdogan grew angry when the panel moderator cut off his remarks in response to Peres's passionate defence of the Israeli offensive against Hamas and stalked off stage when asked to stop. He then said: "I will not come to Davos again."
Late Thursday, Erdogan stressed that he left the stage because he was not given time to respond and complained he was given 12 minutes to speak compared with Peres's 25.
Later, at the airport, Erdogan told reporters in brief comments that he had felt insulted and felt a responsibility to protect the Turkish nation. He also said Peres called him before he left Davos and expressed regrets.
Peres said Friday he didn't think the exchange was personal and relations between the two countries wouldn't be affected.
"I called [Erdogan] up and said, 'Yes, I do not see the matter as personal … and the relations can remain as they are," Peres said. "My respect for him didn't change. We had an exchange of views — and the views are views."With files from the Associated Press