MESOP DOCUMENTS : STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN ON TURKEY & THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST ISIL

Jul 27 2015 – Washington, D.C. ­– U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today released the following statement on Turkey allowing for use of its air bases in the campaign against ISIL:

“Turkey’s decision to assist the fight against ISIL is a positive step in the right direction. The use of Turkish bases for U.S. fighter aircraft will improve response times and increase the opportunity to collect intelligence in Syria. The establishment of a humanitarian zone to protect the moderate Syrian opposition as well as ethnic and religious minorities such as the Kurds against Assad, ISIL, al Nusrah, and other violent extremists is consistent with what we have been advocating for over three years.

“However, I am concerned about reports of Turkish forces shelling Kurdish villages inside Syria. As the United States and Turkey enhance our cooperation against ISIL, I believe these mutual efforts will be most effective in collaboration with local forces on the ground, including the Kurds.

“With Turkey’s help, I urge the President to finally come up with a coordinated regional strategy to put an end to the war on the Syrian people being waged by ISIL and the Assad regime. Our ineffective approach to Syria and Iraq continues to allow mayhem and violence to spread across the region, putting our allies in greater danger and fostering the conditions for an attack on the United States.”