Will Turkey Take Over The Responsibility Of Taking Care Of ISIS Fighters If The Kurdish Militia Withdraws?

The Al-Hawl refugee camp in Syria, where many who have fled areas that were under control of ISIS are now kept, Feb. 17, 2019. Some countries want to strip ISIS volunteers of their citizenship. (Ivor Prickett/The New York Times)

Reuters: U.S. expects Turkey to take over IS fighters if Kurdish militia forced to withdraw: official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States expects Turkey to take responsibility of captive Islamic State fighters, a senior State Department official said on Monday, if Ankara’s planned incursion into northeast Syria seizes areas where the detained militants are held.

The official said as of now, U.S. allied Kurdish militia was still going to be in control of the detention facilities. “If they (Turks) come into an area with obvious prisons and the SDF withdraws from those security positions around those prisons, we expect the Turks to take them over,” he said in a briefing.

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WNU Editor: The Turks are not going to maintain these camps with their ISIS prisoners. Their focus is on the Kurds.

Is Turkey Providing Medical Treatment For Wounded Islamic State Fighters?

Photo: Ersin Arslan. © SPUTNIK/ HİKMET DURGUN

Sputnik: EXCLUSIVE: Daesh Terrorists Secretly Treated at Turkish Hospital (PHOTOS)

Four wounded Daesh fighters have been treated at the Ersin Arslan regional hospital, located in the Turkish city of Gaziantep, an unnamed source told Sputnik. They were admitted on May 5, the medical worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added.

One of them, named Bagur Ferhad, is an Afghan national born in 1993, the source said.

"I examined Daesh fighters. They had gunshot wounds. None of them received life-threatening injuries," the medical worker detailed.

Earlier, Turkish forces opened fire when a group of foreign fighters tried to cross into Syria near Oğuzeli, a city in the Gaziantep province. Three militants were killed, 11 were injured. Four of them were brought to the Ersin Arslan regional hospital. No record of their stay has been made.

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WNU Editor: I suspect that this arrangement of providing medical care for wounded ISIS fighters is far bigger than what is being reported.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan: 'Turkey Has Killed 3,000 Islamic State Fighters'

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (C) is seen between Turkey's Chief of Staff General Hulusi Akar (L) and Greek Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis (R), Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, during the Balkan Countries Chiefs of Defence Conference in Istanbul, Turkey May 11, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

Reuters: Turkey has killed 3,000 Islamic State fighters in Syria, Iraq: Erdogan

Turkey has killed 3,000 Islamic State fighters in Syria and Iraq, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, adding that no other country is fighting Islamic State as Ankara is.

NATO member Turkey was initially a reluctant partner in the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State and faced criticism in the earlier stages of the Syrian war for failing to stop foreign fighters crossing its borders and joining the radical group.

Turkey has meanwhile said it needs more help from Western allies in the fight against Islamic State, particularly near the Syrian border, where the Turkish town of Kilis has been hit for weeks by repeated rocket fire.

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Update #1: Erdogan says Turkey killed 3,000 IS extremists -- AP
Update #2: Erdogan: Turkey Has Killed 3,000 IS Fighters -- VOA
Update #3: Turkey Killed 3,000 Terrorists, Suffered Worst From Fighting Them - Erdogan -- Sputnik

WNU Editor: President Erdogan's military Chief of Staff has a different number .... Turkey hit 3,000 targets, killed 1,300 ISIL militants (Hurriyet Daily News).

Turkey Claims To Have Killed Over 860 Islamic State Fighters Since January

Turkish artillery guns. AFP Photo

RUDAW: Turkey has killed 860 ISIS members since January: military source

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Turkish military source claimed that Turkey’s airstrikes and artillery bombardments have killed more than 860 members of the Islamic State (ISIS) this year.

Turkey’s official Anadolu Agency quoted an unidentified source as saying that since January 9, Turkey has killed 370 ISIS members using artillery fire and a further 492 using airstrikes. Additionally, it reportedly bombed ISIS headquarters and weapon depots.

The source claimed that Turkey has opened fire on ISIS a total of 5,330 times since January.

ISIS rocket fire on Turkey's frontier province of Kilis with Syria has killed 17 civilians since January and wounded many more. Turkey has been responding to these attacks primarily with artillery, likely out of fear that their jet fighters will get shot down by the Russian military in Syria if they venture too far into Syrian airspace.

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Update: Turkey Kills Almost 900 ISIS Members In Syria Raids: Report (AFP)

WNU Editor: It is difficult to check these Turkish claims, but reports continue to come in on Turkish border guards firing on refugees .... Turkish border guards 'shoot eight Syrian refugees dead' including women and children trying to reach safety (The Independent).

Update #2: The Turksih government is also claiming to have deported 3,300 suspected foreign Jihadists .... Turkey says it has deported 3,300 suspected jihadi fighters (AP).

Russia Accuses The Turkish President's Family Of Being Involved In Purchasing Oil From The Islamic State

Reuters: Russia says it has proof Turkey involved in Islamic State oil trade

Russia's defense ministry said on Wednesday it had proof that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his family were benefiting from the illegal smuggling of oil from Islamic State-held territory in Syria and Iraq.

Moscow and Ankara have been locked in a war of words since last week when a Turkish air force jet shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian-Turkish border, the most serious incident between Russia and a NATO state in half a century.

Erdogan responded by saying no one had the right to "slander" Turkey by accusing it of buying oil from Islamic State, and that he would stand down if such allegations were proven to be true. But speaking during a visit to Qatar, he also said he did not want relations with Moscow to worsen further.

WNU Editor: What's my take .... this picture reveals a lot of oil truck tankers (in the hundreds) lining up for oil. Someone is buying that oil .... and I doubt that it is the neighbouring states of Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. And considering the huge numbers of trucks and people involved .... there is no way that the U.S. military/intelligence or the Turkish government could be ignorant of this trade.

More News On Russia Accusing The Turkish President's Family Of Being Involved In Purchasing Oil From The Islamic State

Russia’s Defense Ministry exposes three routes of illegal oil transportation to Turkey -- TASS
Russia presents proof of Turkey’s role in ISIS oil trade -- RT
Map, images from Russian military show main routes of ISIS oil smuggling to Turkey -- RT
Russia Reveals How Turkey and Daesh Make 'Bloody' Oil Business -- Sputnik
Russia to Provide Evidence of Turkish Involvement in Daesh Oil Trade -- Sputnik
Russia accuses Turkey's Erdogan over IS oil trade -- AFP
Russia says Turkish president profits off ISIS oil trade -- AP
Russia reiterates charges of oil business ties between Isis and Erdogan's son -- IBTimes
Russia Accuses Turkey's Erdogan of Involvement With ISIS Oil Trade -- NBC
Russia claims Turkey's president buying oil from Islamic State -- USA Today
Russia accuses Turkey's Erdogan of involvement in ISIL oil trade -- Politico
Russia accuses Turkish president of buying oil from Islamic State -- Washington Times
Russia releases 'proof' Turkey is smuggling Isis oil over its border -- The Independent
Russia: Turkey's Erdoğan is in the oil business with ISIS -- CSM
Russia accuses Turkish president's FAMILY of being involved in the 'criminal business' of selling oil purchased from ISIS -- Daily Mail
Erdogan says no one can 'slander' Turkey over Islamic State oil claims -- Reuters
Russia, Turkey trade accusations over who bought oil from ISIS -- CNN
Iraq Will File Protest at UNSC if Turkey Confirmed to Be Buying Daesh Oil -- Sputnik
Erdogan Accused -- Ktishnadev Calamur, The Atlantic
Does Turkey really get its oil from Islamic State? -- David Butter, BBC

Is Turkey Buying Oil From The Islamic State?

Zero Hedge: Meet The Man Who Funds ISIS: Bilal Erdogan, The Son Of Turkey's President

Russia's Sergey Lavrov is not one foreign minister known to mince his words. Just earlier today, 24 hours after a Russian plane was brought down by the country whose president three years ago said "a short-term border violation can never be a pretext for an attack", had this to say: "We have serious doubts this was an unintended incident and believe this is a planned provocation" by Turkey.

But even that was tame compared to what Lavrov said to his Turkish counterparty Mevlut Cavusoglu earlier today during a phone call between the two (Lavrov who was supposed to travel to Turkey has since canceled such plans).

As Sputnik transcribes, according to a press release from Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lavrov pointed out that, "by shooting down a Russian plane on a counter-terrorist mission of the Russian Aerospace Force in Syria, and one that did not violate Turkey’s airspace, the Turkish government has in effect sided with ISIS."

WNU Editor: Talk about coincidences .... Turkey shoots down a Russia military jet just a week after ISIS oil facilities were targeted by Russian bombers. But Turkey's involvement in this oil trade has been ongoing for a long time as the below New York Times investigation report reveals (see below video). The New York Times in this report also explains why U.S. bombers have not targeted these facilities (at least until now).

More News On Reports That Turkey Is Buying Oil From The Islamic State

Ankara's oil business with ISIS -- RT
Turkey's Erdogan challenges accusers to prove it buys energy from Islamic State -- Reuters
Erdogan denies Russia charge he’s buying oil from Islamic State -- Times of Israel/AFP
Turkey accuses Russia of SLANDER for saying they buy oil from ISIS... as Moscow has 39 Turkish businessmen arrested and deported in escalating row over downed fighter jet -- Daily Mail
Erdogan denies Turkey buying oil from ISIS -- Arutz Sheva
Turkish President Erdogan denies Putin's claims about buying oil from ISIS -- DNA
Erdoğan: Turkey only buys oil from officially known sources -- Daily Sabah
Daesh sells oil to Syrian regime, says Erdogan -- AA.com

Turkey Escalates Its War Against The Islamic State

Daily Beast: The ISIS War Inside Turkey Is Escalating

A ferocious firefight in the Turkish city of Diyarbakir, coming in the wake of the Ankara massacre, shows the government is turning its wrath on ISIS. But is it too late?

ISTANBUL — Heavily armed police in eastern Turkey have clashed with members of the so-called Islamic State in a fierce gun battle that lasted several hours and killed nine people, the deadliest encounter between security forces of the NATO ally and the jihadists so far.

The shootout Monday in Diyarbakir, one of Turkey’s biggest cities, came two weeks after suspected ISIS members killed 102 people in a twin suicide attack in the capital, Ankara, it could mark a turning point in relations between Turkey and the Islamist militia.

On the campaign trail ahead of parliamentary elections this Sunday, the opposition is accusing the government of being too lenient towards—or even cooperating with—the self-styled “caliphate” of the jihadists in neighboring Syria. The government denies the accusations.

WNU Editor: I have said it before but this is all too little ... too late.

Turkish Jets Have Conducted Air-strikes For The First Time With Coalition Forces Against Islamic State Targets

VOA: Turkish Jets Join US-led Coalition with Airstrikes Against IS

Turkish fighter jets have carried out their first airstrikes as part of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Syria, a Foreign Ministry statement said Saturday.

The aircraft began attacking IS targets late Friday across the border in Syria that were deemed to be threats to Turkey.

After months of delay, Turkey agreed last month to take on a more active role in the fight against Islamic State extremists. Turkish jets used smart bombs to attack IS positions in Syria, without crossing into Syrian airspace and later Turkey granted U.S. jets access to a key air base close to the Syrian border.

More News On Turkish Jets Conducting Air-strikes For The First Time With Coalition Forces Against Islamic State Targets

Turkish jets attack IS Syria targets -- BBC
Turkish Jets Join US-Led Coalition in Airstrikes Against IS -- AP
Turkish jets join U.S.-led coalition strikes on Islamic State -- Reuters
Ministry: Turkey joins coalition airstrikes against ISIS in Syria -- CNN
Turkey begins coalition airstrikes against ISIS in Syria -- The Hill
Turkish Jets Hit Islamic State for First Time With U.S. -- Bloomberg

Turkey Says It Is Ready To Launch A 'Comprehensive Battle' Against The Islamic State

A Turkish Air Force A400M tactical transport aircraft is parked at Incirlik airbase in the southern city of Adana, Turkey, July 24, 2015. REUTERS/MURAD SEZER

Wall Street Journal: Turkey Says It is Prepared to Join U.S. in ‘Comprehensive Struggle’ Against Islamic State

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says U.S. warplanes have begun to arrive at Turkish bases

ISTANBUL—Turkey said Wednesday it is preparing to join the U.S. in a more substantive military effort against Islamic State as the U.S. stepped up armed drone flights over northwestern Syria.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that American jets had begun to arrive in Turkish bases, after Turkey last month formally permitted the use of its southern air base, Incirlik.

“We will soon launch a comprehensive struggle against Islamic State together, now that we are already seeing American warplanes and unmanned drones arriving in Turkish air bases,” Mr. Cavusoglu told reporters during a visit to Malaysia after meeting his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, without elaborating.

More News On Reports That Turkey Is Ready To Launch A 'Comprehensive Battle' Against The Islamic State

Turkey says coalition to launch 'comprehensive battle' against Islamic State -- Reuters
Turkey says 'comprehensive battle' against IS to come soon -- BBC
Turkey Says 'Effective' Fight Against IS To Start Soon -- Radio Free Europe
Turkey, US to Begin 'Extensive' Fight Against IS -- VOA
Turkey Says 'Extensive' Fight Against IS to Start Soon -- NYT

Turkey Intensifying Its War Against The Islamic State And Kurdish Fighters

BBC

Reuters: Syrian Kurds say hit as Turkish army battles Islamic State

Kurdish fighters in northern Syria accused the Turkish army of shelling their positions on Monday, highlighting the precarious path Ankara is treading as it simultaneously battles Islamic State in Syria and Kurdish insurgents in Iraq.

Long a reluctant member of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, Turkey last week made a dramatic turnaround by granting the alliance access to its air bases and bombarding targets in Syria linked to the jihadist movement.

Struggling with more than 1.8 million Syrian refugees, Turkey has long campaigned for a "buffer zone" in northern Syria to keep Islamic State and Kurdish militants from its border and provide a safe haven for refugees.

WNU Editor: I could be wrong, but from my vantage point it appears that the Turkish government is more focused on the Kurds than on the Islamic State.

More News On Turkey Intensifying Its War Against The Islamic State And Kurdish Fighters

Syrian Kurds capture town from Islamic State in north: monitor -- Reuters
Turkish jets hit PKK targets in Iraq after soldiers killed: sources -- Reuters
Turkey Accused of Shelling Kurdish Positions in Syria -- WSJ
Syrian Kurds accuse Turkey of attacking their forces -- BBC
Kurdish militia says Turkish army fired at its positions inside Syria -- Reuters
Turkey accused of shelling Kurdish forces in Syria, muddying anti-IS push -- CSM
Turkey denies bombing Kurdish YPG positions in Syrian village: official -- Reuters
Turkey detains over 1,000 in militant crackdown, including 50-60 foreigners -- Daily Star/Reuters
Erdogan lines up fight on three fronts -- Financial Times
Turkey's Erdogan, Russia's Putin discuss situation in the Middle East -- Reuters
Turkish opposition press fears new civil war -- BBC
Turkey’s bombs reveal a failed Syria policy -- David Gardner, Financial Times

Report: Turkey And U.S. Plan to Create Syria ‘Safe Zone’ (Updated)

The Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey on Monday. Turkey and the United States agreed on a plan that would create what officials are calling an Islamic State-free zone, which the Turks say could also be a “safe zone” for displaced Syrians. Credit Murad Sezer/Reuters

New York Times: Turkey and U.S. Plan to Create Syria ‘Safe Zone’ Free of ISIS

BAGHDAD — Turkey and the United States have agreed in general terms on a plan that envisions American warplanes, Syrian insurgents and Turkish forces working together to sweep Islamic State militants from a 60-mile-long strip of northern Syria along the Turkish border, American and Turkish officials say.

The plan would create what officials from both countries are calling an Islamic State-free zone controlled by relatively moderate Syrian insurgents, which the Turks say could also be a “safe zone” for displaced Syrians.

While many details have yet to be determined, including how deep the strip would extend into Syria, the plan would significantly intensify American and Turkish military action against Islamic State militants in the country, as well as the United States’ coordination with Syrian insurgents on the ground. The plan was described in recent days by four senior American officials, who were briefed on the talks and spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational planning.

More News On Reports That Turkey And U.S. Are Planning To Create A Syria ‘Safe Zone’

US, Turkey aim for IS-free zone in northern Syria -- AP
US and Turkey to create 'IS-free zone' in Syria -- AFP
Turkey agrees plan for 'Isis-free zone' along Syrian border -- The Guardian
U.S., Turkey plan to carve out 'Islamic State-free zone' in Syria -- L.A. Times
Turkey, US agree on ’de facto safe zone’ along Turkey-Syria border -- Today's Zaman
U.S. and Turkey mulling "safe zone" in northern Syria -- CBS
US, Turkey negotiate Syria 'safe zone' against ISIS as Turkey targets Kurds -- FOX News
White House says Turkey has right to defend itself after Kurdish attacks -- FOX News
Turkey Safe Zone: NATO Member States React To Syrian Border Plan -- IBTimes

Turkey Joins The Air War Against The Islamic State By Launching Air Strikes Into Syria

Reuters: Turkey stages first airstrikes on Islamic State in Syria, rounds up Kurds

Turkish warplanes pounded Islamic State targets in Syria for the first time on Friday, with President Tayyip Erdogan promising more decisive action against both the jihadists and Kurdish militants at home.

The air strikes, which followed a phone conversation between Erdogan and U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday, were accompanied by a series of police raids across Turkey to detain hundreds of suspected militants, including from Kurdish groups.

Turkey has long been a reluctant partner in the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, emphasizing instead the need to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and saying Syrian Kurdish forces also pose a grave security threat.

More News On Turkey Joining The Air War Against The Islamic State

In shift, Turkish jets strike Islamic State targets in Syria -- AP
Turkey joins the air war on Islamic State in Syria -- AFP
Turkish warplanes bomb ISIS positions in Syria for the first time -- CNN
Airstrikes by Turkey Hit 3 ISIS Targets in Syria -- NYT
Turkey strikes Islamic State targets in Syria for the first time -- Washington Post
Turkey escalates Islamic State fight, with airstrikes and arrests -- CSM
Turkish jets strike ISIL targets in Syria -- USA Today
Turkey vows to continue campaign against Islamic State militants -- BBC
Turkish fighter jets pound ISIL positions in Syria -- Al Jazeera
Turkish jets strike ISIS targets in Syria ‘without violating airspace’ -- RT
Main events in Turkey since Suruc attack -- AFP

Kurds Accuse Turkey Of Supporting The Islamic State

Armed men, believed to be Kurdish fighters, run after an explosion during fighting against Islamic State militants at a location west of Kobani November 23, 2014 (Reuters / Osman Orsal)

ISIL Reportedly Attacks Syrian Town Kobane From Turkey -- Al Jazeera

Turkey denies attack came from its side of the border while Kurdish activist accuses Istanbul of cooperating with ISIL

The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) launched an attack Saturday on the Syrian border town of Kobane from Turkey, a Kurdish official and activists said, though Turkey denied that the fighters had used its territory for the raid.

The assault began when a suicide bomber driving an armored vehicle detonated his explosives on the border crossing between Kobane and Turkey, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Nawaf Khalil, a spokesman for Syria's Kurdish Democratic Union Party.

At least 30 fighters have been confirmed as killed so far, said Rami Abdulrahman, the Observatory's director. Twenty-one of those were ISIL fighters, including the four suicide bombers. The rest were Kurdish forces.

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More News On Kurdish Accusations That Turkey Is Supporting The Islamic State

Kurds blame Turkey as suicide bombers hit Kobani -- Reuters
ISIS attacks border town Kobani from Turkey -- CBC/AP
Isis launches attack on Kobani from inside Turkey for first time -- The Guardian
Jihadist suicide bombers hit Syria-Turkey border post -- AFP
ISIS attack on Kobani comes from Turkey – Kurds -- RT
Islamic State: Fighting intensifies in Syrian town of Kobane -- BBC
At least 30 fighters killed in Syrian city of Kobani -- CNN

Has Turkey Abandoned The Kurds In Syria?

Turkish army tanks take up position on the Turkish-Syrian border near the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province October 6, 2014. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

ISIS Is About To Take A City Called Kobane. Will It Drag Turkey Into War? -- Zack Beauchamp, VOX

After several failed invasion attempts, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria appears on the verge of taking the Syrian town Kobane. This is the culmination of an assault that began in early September, has sent thousands of refugees fleeing across the border, and has big implications for the larger conflict.

Yes, ISIS has seized many towns during its expansion, but the fight for Kobane is an unusually important one. The mostly Kurdish city, along Syria's border with Turkey, has strategic and symbolic importance for ISIS. It is already creating a humanitarian disaster that could be on the verge of getting much worse. And it threatens to pull Turkey's military — which is part of NATO — into direct combat with ISIS for the first time. Here's what you need to know to understand the fight for Kobane.

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Update #1: Turkey willing to put troops in Syria 'if others do their part,' Prime Minister says -- CNN
Update #2: Turkey wary of military intervention against IS -- AFP

My Comment: The above picture from Reuters says it all .... a line of Turkish tanks doing nothing but lining up for the cameras .... and a few kilometers away Islamic State forces free to do what they are doing.

Turkey's Parliament Approves Military Operations In Iraq And Syria To Fight The Islamic State

Turkish army tanks take up position on the Turkish-Syrian border near the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province September 29, 2014. Credit: REUTERS/Murad Sezer

Islamic State: Turkey MPs Back Iraq-Syria Deployment -- BBC

Turkey's parliament has backed a motion allowing its military to enter Iraq and Syria to fight Islamic State (IS) militants.

The resolution will also permit foreign troops to use Turkish territory for the operation.

The motion was passed with 298 MPs in favour and 98 against.

Turkey had been unwilling to fight IS militants because they were holding 46 Turkish hostages - but they were released last month.

Turkey is also wary of retaliation by IS and fears helping the Kurds who are fighting the militants.

Protesters demonstrated outside parliament as the debate began.

Turkey has a porous and vulnerable border with Syria, more than 900km (560 miles) long.

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Update: Turkey's parliament approves motion for Turkish and foreign military operations in Iraq, Syria -- AP

My Comment: So the Turks have decided to get involved .... but it is not on U.S. terms.

Turkey Wants A Buffer Zone Against The Islamic State

Turkey Mulling Buffer Zone With Iraq, Syria -- Defense News

ANKARA — The Turkish military, feeling threatened by the emergence of a radical self-declared Islamist state at its doorstep, is considering creating a buffer zone along the country’s border with Syria and Iran, the president said on Tuesday.

“The Turkish Armed Forces are working on plans [to create a buffer zone] and will present them to us, and we will decide if it is necessary,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters.

A senior Army officer said headquarters is assessing the merits of a buffer zone, but added the government would make the final decision. He did not comment further.

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More News On Reports That Turkey Is Mulling A Buffer Zone With Iraq And Syria

Turkey mulls 'buffer zone' against Islamic State -- BBC
Turkey considers 'buffer zone' against Islamic State militants -- CTV/AP
Turkey mulls buffer zone along Iraq, Syria border -- Global Post/AFP
Turkey weighs establishing ‘buffer zone' against ISIL threat -- Today's Zaman
Turkey Renews Syria Buffer-Zone Push As U.S. Builds Coalition -- WSJ
Turkey Mulls Setting Up Buffer Zone Along Iraq, Syria Borders - President -- Novinite

Update #1: Turkey is now realizing that they are one of the reasons for the rise of the Islamic State .... Turkey provides steady stream of fighters to Islamic State (Haaretz)

Update #2: Up to 1000 Turks have joined IS: Report -- Al Bawaba