Hillary Clinton is playing with fire
In her second debate with the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Oct. 10, Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton said she was considering "arming the Kurds" because they are the "best partners in Syria and Iraq" against the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL).
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım declared that remark to be "unacceptable" while addressing his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) group in the parliament on Oct. 11. "Clinton has said she would support Kurds in the region, terrorist organizations, with arms, if she is elected," Yıldırım said. "Is the U.S. not our ally? What does it mean to support them with arms?"
President Tayyip Erdoğan did not directly refer to what Clinton said but said that there was an effort to isolate Turkey from the operations against ISIL in Syria and Iraq even though 63 countries (including) Turkey are taking part in the U.S.-led coalition. He also noted the 910 km border with Syria and 330-one with Iraq.
This is not usual.
The usual thing would be the outrage of the Turkish leadership expressed in strong words and "if not" kind of threatening remarks.
There is something else which is not usual. That is the surprise support from Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), for the government's stance regarding the Bashiqa training camp near Mosul after the Iraqi government sought to evict Turkey with support from both the United States and Iran.
This rather low-profile reaction from Ankara could be the indication of two possible developments.
The first could be Turkey choosing to stay where it is now on the Jarablus-Azaz line in Syria and at the Bashiqa camp - without stepping out - as it is desired and...
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