Washington honest for the first time

It is the first time I see them talking so honestly. I?ll share my impressions from the talks I had in Washington and explain how relations are deteriorating.

They are now openly saying they do not want a no-fly zone in Syria. As a result, no one is expecting Turkey to open its bases against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Obviously, they are not admitting a change in their policy of ?Bashar al-Assad should go.?  Yet, they do not refrain from saying this is no longer a priority for them. They insist the real issue is ISIL. Still there is a glimmer of hope. Washington thinks the ISIL related attack on Jan. 6 in Sultanahmet a day before the attack on Charlie Hebdo might change Turkey?s perception of the threat. And they confess this. They say Turkey was not at the point of accepting ISIL as the real threat even during U.S. Vice President Joe Biden?s visit to Turkey in November.

There are talks with the Turkish commander of land forces Hulusi Akar in Washington this week. There are no concrete expectations; just a protocol visit, because the perceptions of the threat are different.

Gülen ?ssue

Following the Paris attack, it was decided to hold a conference on Feb. 18 in Washington on the struggle against violent radicalism. Invitations have not been issued yet. Interior ministers will probably be invited. One cannot expect Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala to not to open the subject of Fettulah Gülen. But Americans are saying Turks are not opening this issue since the talks at the U.N. last September. The Gülen issue was not on the meeting points in Biden?s talks with Erdo?an last November in Istanbul.

Elections

The Americans are saying that as Turks are not opening the subject, this issue does not...