Turkey is ready to collaborate with the USA on the issue of fighting Islamic State. As a step towards defeating the IS, ground forces of IS should be destroyed. As the main base, Al-Raqqa is the stronghold of the IS in the Syria and pushing IS fighters from the Al-Raqqa will lead to the falling of the IS movement in Syria, and conversion of current conventional war into guerilla, with the eliminating of IS in Syria. According to the Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey: “Raqqa is the most important center of Daesh”. 

“Obama wants to do something together especially on the issue of Raqqa,” he said. “I said there would be no problem from our perspective.”“I said ‘our soldiers should come together and discuss, then what is necessary will be done’ ”. 

As Ankara launched the operation under the name of “Euphrates Shield”, during which Turkey-backed rebels took the Jarablus and all territory of borderline with Turkey, Ankara is preparing for the bigger operation of Al-Raqqa liberation. Rebels advanced near Ar-Rai town and are ready to advance to the Al-Bab. Turkey sent reinforcements and more armored vehicles, among which are modern tanks instead of old in the Jarablus area, towards the Syrian border, which can be considered as a preparing for the greater operation.

Read more (BBC) >>
Read more (Arab News) >>
Read more (Al Jazeera) >>