Abduction pulls Turkey into crisis

World Today

The seizure of 80 Turkish citizens in the Iraqi city of Mosul last week by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham is dragging Turkey into another civil war along its borders.

Ankara for its part, has been an active player in the war in neighbouring Syria for which it has been criticized for by opposition groups. Now some are arguing it is Turkish foreign policy that is leading them towards another crisis they are not prepared for. Turkish workers in Iraq are heading home.

Ankara has called back all its citizens following the kidnappings of 31 truck drivers and 49 members of staff and their family from the Turkish consult in Mosul.

The situation has caused great concern for Turkey and the government who are said to have known about the threat of the al Qaeda splinter group ISIS on Mosul and its consulate there.

Pressure is on the ruling Justice and Development party.

Turkish government is really trying to calm the population because the opposition is really up and down saying this is because of Turkey’s Middle East policies.

Professor Vehbi Baysan is an expert on Turkish and Middle Eastern foreign policy and says Ankara’s position on Syria is seen by some as sectarian and lending to the support for the Sunni militia ISIS.

They are very nervous and angry about Turkey’s Syrian policy because they see that Turkey is supporting Syrian opposition, that is to say supporting Sunnis, and that is against Alawaits in Syria.

The Alawaits are a branch of Shia Islam, the very people ISIS want to rid Iraq and Syria of.

Turkey could also be dragged into the crisis through its own Kurdish community.

The Turkish population has been exhausted by the Syrian conflict and do not want to be dragged into another one, yet NATO is unlikely to want to get involved.

But until its 80 citizens are returned safely, Ankara has little choice but to keep all options open. CCTV’s Natalie Carney reports from Istanbul.

Abduction pulls Turkey into crisis

The seizure of 80 Turkish citizens in the Iraqi city of Mosul last week by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham is dragging Turkey into another civil war along its borders.