Syrian Coalition Supports Turkey’s Plan to Fight Extremism

Salem al-Meslet, spokesman for the Syrian Coalition, said that “the plans set out by Turkey to join the international anti-ISIS coalition, described by news outlets as preconditions, are in fact much needed prerequisites for any effective campaign against terrorism in the region.” Meslet was commenting on the conditions set out by the Turkish President for his country to join the international anti-ISIS coalition, namely the establishing of a buffer zone along the Syrian-Turkish borders, a no-fly zone and stepping up training and equipment for the moderate forces in Syria and Iraq to confront terrorism. Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that the Assad regime is one of the main creators of terrorism in the region during an interview with CNN. He also said that his country might send ground troops to fight ISIS but only as part of a comprehensive strategy that also includes targeting the Assad regime. Meslet stresses that “addressing the problem of terrorism in isolation from the terrorism of the Assad would be useless because the Assad regime is the root cause behind the emergence of these extremist groups, and Assad’s survival in power will lead to the emergence of new extremist organizations in the future, even if under different names. Tackling the threat of terrorism piecemeal will surely further complicate the situation in Syria and will also threaten the security of neighboring countries and the region as a whole.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)