WASHINGTON
The U.S. and Turkey needs more cooperating to combat Daesh, even though the two NATO allies don’t share the exact views on how that should be done, experts said Thursday.
Addressing an audience in Washington, D.C. at the Turkey-based think tank, SETA, the organization’s Washington executive director Kadir Ustun said although groups like the Syrian Democratic Union Party (PYD) contribute to the U.S. strategy in the region, the Turkish perspective had several concerns about it.
"This recent agreement (U.S. led cooperation in northern Syria) does not provide a comprehensive strategy," Ustun said, adding that where the U.S. and Turkey agreed on "minimum points" -- but obviously not over the PYD.
The PYD is the Syrian extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) -- considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU.
Although Turkey considers the PYD an extension of the PKK, the U.S. supports the PYD’s fight against Daesh in northern Syria.
Ustun addressed the PKK's recent attacks in eastern Turkey that killed several Turkish soldiers and police. He said the PKK views the ongoing tension in Syria as an "opportunity to gain international legitimacy" in the region.
Noting that Turkey has problems related to Syria, including Daesh, the PYD and the PKK’s ambitions inside Turkey, Ustun said Turkey has sought a broader strategy to address those issues; however, the U.S. has been so far reluctant to expand tactics.
"I don't foresee that happening anytime soon," he said before issuing a warning: "U.S.-Turkey agreement on Daesh free zone has to be broadened and two countries have to have a broader strategy," he said, and efforts to the contrary would be "short-lived" and would not amount to much of an anti-Daesh campaign.
Melissa Dalton of the Center for Strategic and International Studies also addressed the audience and conceded that broader cooperation was needed between Turkey and the U.S.
She said the U.S. welcomed the recent opening of the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey for expanded operations against Daesh.
Although "Turkey has been pulling a free-zone" in northern Syria, the "U.S. has resisted", she said, because it presented multiple implications for what it meant for efforts against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and broader intervention efforts.
Dalton said the U.S. and Turkey would seek to focus on common interests to counter Daesh, despite having different political objectives that could complicate a broader agreement.
"Broader cooperation is necessary to secure a long term political and military solution to the conflicts in Syria," she said.
Turkey allowed the opening of its air bases for manned and unmanned coalition aircraft for U.S.-led coalition forces fighting Daesh.
The operation concerned only Daesh, and did not include air support for pro-Kurdish People’s Defense Unit’s (YPG) in Syria -- which is the armed wing of the PYD -- according to Turkey’s foreign ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic.
The U.S. remains ambiguous about the issue, however, saying the PYD is effective in the fight against Daesh.
