US ‘deeply concerned’ by Turkish strikes in Syria, Iraq

TIL Desk/World/Washington/ The United States is “deeply concerned” by Turkish air strikes that reportedly killed more than two dozen Kurdish fighters in Iraq and Syria, the State Department said today.

The strikes underscore the delicate political tightrope the United States is treading in Syria — and to a lesser extent in Iraq — where it is relying heavily on Kurdish forces to conduct the ground fight against the Islamic State group.

“We are very concerned, deeply concerned that Turkey conducted air strikes earlier today in northern Syria as well as northern Iraq without proper coordination either with the United States or the broader global coalition to defeat” IS, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. “We have expressed those concerns to the government of Turkey directly.”

Turkey is a key US ally and a NATO member, so America must be careful not to alienate its partner and risk losing Ankara’s support for the anti-IS fight and access to Turkey’s vital Incirlik airbase.