Turkish President’s Cynical Maneuvers Weaken Fight Against ISIS

There has probably been no greater threat to civilian lives and internationally-accepted values across the Middle East for decades than the grotesquely misnamed Islamic State.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (2L) inaugurates a mosque on the grounds of his gigantic palace complex and opens it to the public in an apparent effort to stave off more criticism over his spending, in Ankara, Turkey, on July 3, 2015. Erdogan, who has been accused of squandering state resources by building the grandiose 1,150-room presidential palace, dedicated the mosque to the people at the opening ceremony, naming it the "Bestepe People's Mosque." Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (2R), head of Religious Affairs Mehmet Gormez (R), and new Parliament Speaker Ismet Yilmaz listen. AP

There has probably been no greater threat to civilian lives and internationally accepted values across the Middle East for decades than the grotesquely misnamed Islamic State (also known as ISIS).

In Iraq alone, the ISIS conflict has killed almost 15,000 civilians and wounded 30,000 others during a 16-month period according to a recent U.N. report. More than 2.8 million people remain displaced within the country, including 1.3 million children. Some ISIS abuses may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and possibly genocide.

In Syria, ISIS seized Palmyra, a UNESCO world heritage site, in May and then conducted mass executions in the area. On June 25, it launched a diversionary attack on Kobani canton, killing hundreds, but was repelled by the Kurdish militia, including Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) supporters from Turkey.

Erdogan's policy is 'to pretend that [Turkey] is waging a war against [the ISIS], while at the same time following up another goal ... to destroy the Kurdistan Workers' Party.'

— Kerem Oktem, professor, University of Graz, Austria