Turkey Frustrated Over Syria
Western aims in Syria are proving to be at odds with the Turkish government’s expectations.
Turkey continues to strongly encourage its NATO allies — the United States, Great Britain and France — to mount a military operation in Syria after the alleged use of chemical weapons by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in Ghouta, near Damascus.
The reluctance that has crept into the approach of these countries after their initial show of determination is a source of frustration for the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is seeking immediate action against the Assad regime.
As Washington, London and Paris continue to debate what actions will be taken against the Assad regime, statements from US officials — together with similar statements from Britain and France — indicate that Ankara is at odds with its allies over the aims of any military strike against Syria, if and when this takes place.
In the backdrop to all this, Islamists and supporters of the Erdogan government in Turkey are facing a serious quandary over the prospect of a US-led operation against an Islamic country, and are confused over how to react.
