Spotlight: Turkey, U.S. reiterate consensus on struggle against terror groups

The U.S. Chief of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford met with his Turkish counterpart Gen. Hulusi Akar on Friday at the Incirlik air base in southern Adana province of Turkey for talks before the new U.S. administration draws up a new anti-Islamic State (IS) strategy in the Middle East.

The Turkish top commander and Gen. Dunford reiterated consensus on struggle against the terror groups in Syria and Iraq, including the IS and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in a bid to maintain security in the region, Turkish military sources, who asked to remain anonymous, said.

Gen. Akar informed his American counterpart about Turkey's incursion into Syria, Operation Euphrates Shield, and said the Turkish army-backed Syrian rebels has largely taken control of Syrian town of al-Bab and were conducting search within the city, according to the sources.

"One will and should continue fight against all kinds of terror organizations, primarily the IS," the Turkish general told Dunford, in an apparent reference to the Syrian Kurdish militia as well, which Ankara sees an offshoot of the PKK.

Akar stressed the importance of increasing support by the U.S.-led anti-IS coalition in the fight against terrorism, sources said.

Dunford's visit to Turkey was part of series of recent meetings between officials from the new Trump administration and the Turkey, along with defense ministers' meeting in Brussels, Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary's talks with the new administration figures in Washington and the CIA Director's visit to Ankara last week.

The Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim will also meet with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday on the margins of Munich Security Conference.

The new U.S. administration is working to shape its new strategy regarding the Middle East, while Ankara wants to convince Washington to change its fighting partner in Syria against the IS before the U.S. President Trump announces his country's policy for the region.

Speaking on Feb. 16, Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Isik said Dunford's visit to Turkey was for discussions on a possible joint operation to liberate Raqqa, de facto capital of the IS group in Syria.

Turkey offers U.S. boots on the ground for Raqqa offensive in return to end its collaboration with the Syrian Kurds.

Turkey urges the new Trump administration to change its policy of cooperation with the People's Protection Units (YPG) fighters in Syria, which caused strain between the Turkish government and the Obama administration.

During Dunford's previous visit to Ankara in November, Turkish officials proposed a plan that Syrian Arab fighters from Free Syrian Army (FSA) and Arab elements in Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) will launch operation into Raqqa with efforts of coalition forces including Turkish Army on the ground.

Ankara strongly objects to Syrian Kurdish fighters' participation in a possible Raqqa offensive and puts pressure on the U.S. to end supporting the YPG fighters.

The SDF, an alliance dominated in manpower and militarily led by the YPG, is currently conducting a multi-phased operation to encircle Raqqa, backed by airstrikes and special ground forces from the U.S.-led coalition. Turkey proposes the U.S. to continue the operation's capture phase with estimated 10,000 Arab forces from the SDF and the FSA.

Turkish leadership vows to target YPG fighters in Manbij after its offensive ends in al-Bab town, if the Syrian Kurdish fighters do not withdraw to east of the Euphrates River.

The Euphrates Shield operation does not target only IS elements, but the YPG fighters in order to prevent them from uniting northern Syria's three Kurdish cantons. Endit