The Battle for al-Bab Is Bringing U.S.-Turkish Tensions to a Head
Fabrice Balanche
January 9, 2017
Helping Erdogan take the city could greatly decrease the civilian death toll and preserve U.S.-Turkish cooperation in Syria, but Washington will still need to decide what to do with the Kurds, its other key ally against the Islamic State.
On January 5, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to close Incirlik Air Base to the international coalition against the Islamic State, citing the lack of U.S. support for his efforts to take the IS-held Syrian city of al-Bab. That battle will likely force Washington to make some hard choices about which ally is most important in the anti-IS campaign -- Turkey or the Kurds.
More:The Battle for al-Bab Is Bringing U.S.-Turkish Tensions to a Head - The Washington Institute for Near East Policy