Washington’s Message to Turkey: ‘Don’t Expect NATO to Rescue You in Syria’

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said thet deal in Syria does not bind Turkey.

Presidential Political and Media Advisor Bouthaina Shaaban on Thursday said that an end should be put to the behavior of the countries supporting terrorism in Syria, pointing out that the Syrian government has been working since the beginning for finding a political solution to the crisis. “That is why Turkey started to attack us directly”.

But the truce agreement, clinched Monday, does not apply to jihadists such as the Islamic State group and Al-Nusra Front or other groups deemed terror outfits by the UN. Under the terms of the deal, armed groups had to confirm their commitment to the United States or Russian Federation no later than 1200 Damascus time (1000 GMT). The Russian Defense Ministry said the warplane was flying over Syrian territory without violating Turkey’s airspace.

Russian Federation and the United States have set a deadline of midnight today for the temporary cease-fire to take effect between the Syrian government and opposition forces.

The town of Khanaser, captured by the Syrian army Thursday, was seized earlier this week by the Islamic State, cutting government forces’ access to the provincial capital, also called Aleppo, said the Syrian government and the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition monitoring group. “And of course we are very concerned about potential YPG [Peoples Protection Units] military support from Syria to PKK elements operating in Turkey”, the official said. But much to the frustration of Ankara, it sees the YPG and its political arm, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), as a distinct group, with which it is willing to work to battle Islamic State. Around 200,000 people, mostly Kurdish citizens of Turkey, have been displaced by the violence and curfews.

Syria’s state-run news agency said 18 people were killed in shelling by insurgents of government-held neighborhoods of Aleppo in the past 24 hours.

Speaking in a conference call with journalists, he said Moscow was doing its part and is expecting the United States to also do its part to make sure the groups they support adhere to the cease-fire. Solidarity with their ethnic kin in Syria is a source of pride for many of Turkey’s Kurds. Now Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the conflict there has created a breeding ground for extremist organizations. “Believe me, I barely understand how clearly we can explain for our allies to understand that they are at a crossroads on this issue”.

“When it’s a question of the security measures Turkey will take, the only place to have a say is Ankara”.