Hey United States, It's Just Business. No Hard Feelings?

"Turkey Inching Toward Alliance With U.S. in Syrian Conflict"
By: Anne Barnard and Mark Landler
Source: New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/28/world/europe/turkey-hesitant-to-ally-with-us-in-syria-mission.html

"No American ally is closer to the threat of the Islamic State than Turkey, and no country could play a more important role in a coalition that President Obama is assembling to combat the extremist Sunni militants." (1) Although Turkey seems to be the one ally that is the closest to the threat of ISIS, they seem very unenthusiastic and overly resistant to join the forces against ISIS with the United States. The Syrian Kurds are fleeing to Turkey for escape from ISIS while the Turkish Kurds are going into Syria to help their Syrian Kurdish friends. Turkey is in a gigantic dilemma which is defeating the islamic militants or the ISIS while not evolving the power of their Kurdish protesters. Obama is ambitious to get Turkey to join the side opposing ISIS because at the moment Turkey has been aiding ISIS with all sorts of accessories. "Mr. Obama wants Turkey to stop the flow of foreign fighters traveling through the country to join the Islamic State. As a NATO ally, Turkey could also take part in military operations and provide bases from which to carry out airstrikes in Syria and Iraq." (1) Turkey does not want the Kurds to gain power so they will not try to get independence. Although Turkey does not support what ISIS is doing, if Turkey decides to help the United States the Syrian Kurds will generally gain power which is helpful for the Turkish Kurds hungry for independence. Turkey's main concern is tension possibly rising on the border. Supposedly, Turkey sees the Kurds as a much greater threat than the Islamic State.

Turkey does sympathize and understand what the United States have to do, but if they were to participate in the retaliation to ISIS, all sorts of trouble will arise for the Turks. The Kurds will gain power and they will try to break away from the Turkish rule. As said in the New York Times, Turkey thinks of the Kurds as a much more threatening group to their cause then the Islamic State, so there is high doubt that Turkey will take the leap of faith and help the United States put a stop to the Islamic State. In the picture above Turkish Kurds watch closely as the Kurdish forces fight off the Islamic State.