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Source: http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/tuesday-changed-everything
Why ISIS Attacked Turkey
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Soner Cagaptay - The question was never if ISIS would attack Turkey in a spectacular way, but when it would. Turkey represents what's normal in Islam. Turkey is a secular country with a democratic constitution, full gender equality, a member of NATO, in accession talks with the EU, a friend of the U.S., and has just made up with Israel. Everything Turkey has is antithetical to everything ISIS wants to create. There are also tactical reasons why ISIS attacked. Turkey has been working with the U.S. inside Syria to push back against ISIS. ISIS felt the heat of Turkish assistance and wasn't happy about it and decided to finally launch a war with Turkey that was ultimately unavoidable. The writer is director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute.