Is US undermining its alliance with Turkey?
Ankara is calling on Washington to stop supporting Kurdish forces inside Syria.
When it comes to the war in Syria, Turkey and the United States are allies in many ways.
They both want Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) gone.
But when it comes to achieving these goals, the two do not see eye to eye – and that could lead to yet another confrontation in the region.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that the US must cut off support to Kurdish armed groups in the area, or face the consequences.
At the same time, US troops have been increasing their presence along part of the Turkey-Syria border.
How can the two NATO allies resolve the situation?
Presenter: Jane Dutton
Guests:
Henri Barkey – director of the Middle East programme at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre
Metin Gurcan – security analyst and columnist for Al Monitor
Bulent Aliriza – director and senior associate at Turkey Project at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies