Sometimes NATO 'Ally' Turkey can’t agree whether to train the Syrians to fight ISIS or Assad regime.

Sometimes NATO 'Ally' Turkey can’t agree whether to train ISIS II the Syrians to fight ISIS or Assad regime. (mcclatchy).

The United States and Turkey will soon sign an accord to train and equip at least 2,000 Syrian fighters this year, but the two NATO allies have been unable to agree on what enemy the Syrians will be preparing to fight, Turkish officials said Tuesday.

Tanju Bilgic, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, said the memorandum of understanding will permit the training of moderate rebels to begin next month. The training site previously announced is Kirsehir-Hirfani, in central Anatolia.

Despite six weeks of talks, the two sides couldn’t agree on whether to train the Syrians to fight the Islamic State extremists, the U.S. priority, or the Assad regime, the Turkish preference. “It’s open,” said a senior Turkish diplomat, who could not be identified because he was not authorized to speak on the record.

 Turkish officials said the memorandum of understanding is a technical military document that would not have to be submitted either to the Turkish Parliament or to the U.S. Congress. Hmmmm.....Sure we don't need Congress and the world to know we're training ISIS II... do we? It's mind boggling that the Turkish soldiers guarding the Tomb Tomb of Suleiman Shah, in Syria have never been bothered by the Islamic state.Read the full story here.

Related: STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS AN OFFICIAL AGREEMENT WILL LIKELY BE SIGNED ‘SOON.’


The announcement puts an end to months of difficult negotiations between allies Washington and Ankara on how to train Syrian rebel forces to eventually take on the Islamic State group. Last month, the Pentagon said it would send nearly 1,000 troops to Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar as part of the effort.