Turkish soldiers training Iraqi troops near Mosul: sources

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24. A new approach to Syria

Turkish-American relations are at an impasse over the Kurdish question in Syria. Washington's top priority in Syria is to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and to use proxy forces such as Syrian Kurds as the most effective boots on the ground. Ankara, wary of its own Kurdish population and particularly the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), is extremely reluctant to see Syrian Kurds armed and otherwise assisted by Washington. At the heart of the problem is the fact that Syrian Kurds are mostly aligned with the PKK.

There are no easy answers here but there may in fact be a plausible path forward -- a strategy that, if Washington were to adopt it, could assuage many Turkish concerns and lead to gradual progress in the campaign to put real military pressure on both ISIL and the Bashar al-Assad regime. The first element of the new strategy begins with a more realistic framing of the military goals of the international coalition opposing both Assad and ISIL. Washington must take the lead on this. The starting point is to begin with a vision for the future of Syria based on a confederation.

Declaring such a goal could help reconcile, or at least “de-conflict,” American and Turkish views on the conflict. By now, it must be clear that aspiring to a strong successor government to the Assad regime is hoping for a miracle. Even if such a government could be constructed on paper, what army is going to give it authority? A confederal model for Syria, though still ambitious, could help reduce the chasm between ends and means, making the strategy more credible.

http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist/omer-taspinar/a-new-approach-to-syria_406246.html