Given the shit storm we have entered in the Middle East Does Abbot want ignite one between Russia and the Ukraine?

U.S. Should Be Wary of Turkey’s Intentions in Syria

Halil M. Karaveli is a senior fellow at the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and the Silk Road Studies Program.

October 14, 2014

Turkey has been pursuing a sectarian and anti-Kurdish agenda in Syria since the civil war there broke out. Turkey's refusal to help Kobani withstand the assault of the Islamic State has revealed that clearly.

Ankara's aim is to put a Sunni, supposedly “moderate” regime into power in Damascus. Turkey also wants to make sure that the Kurds in Syria are denied autonomy. That is why Ankara calls for the establishment of a no-fly zone in northern Syria.

Turkey has showed that it prefers ISIS as a neighbor rather than allow a self-governing Kurdish enclave.

None of these Turkish goals align with American interests and values. The United States should be wary of Turkey as an ally in the fight against ISIS. Turkey continues to be reluctant to offer cooperation and it is still not clear if it will allow the use of its air bases for operations against the militant group. What Turkey seeks is international cover and legitimacy for its destructive ambitions in Syria. If Turkey had been serious about combating ISIS, it would have lent assistance to Kobani. It would not have hindered Kurds from joining the defense against ISIS. It would have allowed coalition warplanes to use its airbases.
Turkey’s stance toward Kobani has showed that it prefers ISIS as a neighbor rather than allow a self-governing Kurdish enclave. That is having a profound effect on Kurds in Turkey and it should also have an effect on how the Unites States views Turkey.
Last week over 30 lives were claimed in clashes in Turkey’s Kurdish areas. This violence, as well as Ankara’s assistance to the Sunni militants in Syria, has set the stage for ethnic and sectarian confrontation in Turkey. A Kurdish popular uprising is around the corner. And on Monday Turkish fighter jets struck Kurdish positions within the country, in what newspapers reported was retaliation against the shelling of a Turkish military base.
Indeed, the people of Turkey will ultimately need protection from a regime that has brought the country to the brink of civil war