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Ex-US envoy: US should seek Turkey's help against Daesh in Syria

January 27, 2021 at 4:13 pm

Former US envoy to Damascus Robert Ford in Syria on 20 June 2011 [ LOUAI BESHARA/AFP/Getty Images]

The US should seek Turkey’s help to defeat Daesh in Syria, former US envoy to Damascus Robert Ford wrote in Foreign Affairs magazine.

In the article, Ford said Ankara has “clear incentives to cooperate” as Daesh has also launched terror attacks inside Turkey.

Joe Biden’s administration must withdraw US soldiers from Syria and rely on Turkey and Russia to contain Daesh there, but cooperation will be easier once Washington is no longer directly assisting the Kurdish parties in Syria, he added.

He criticised the US’ Syria policy saying: “American actions to compel political concessions from [Syrian President] Assad and stop his attacks on Syrian civilians also harm Syrian civilians and complicate the fight against Daesh.”

Turkey is trying to defeat terrorist organisations in Syria and in Turkey, he continued.

Last week, at least eight foreigners were arrested in central Turkey over their suspected links to outlawed Kurdish and Daesh terror groups.

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