Publication

This paper discusses Turkey’s July 2015 decision to permit the US and its coalition partners to stage airstrikes from Incirlik Air Force Base against the so-called Islamic State (IS). The paper's author concludes that although the decision could enhance the coalition’s ability to combat IS, the different motives, strategies and priorities of the US and Turkey could hinder the operational effectiveness of allied air operations. Two obvious sources of tension are the US' cooperation with the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which is fighting against IS in Syria, and the absence of a ceasefire between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).