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Source: http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/08/24/why-turkey-finally-went-to-war-in-syria-jarablus-invasion-kurds/
Why Turkey Went to War in Syria
(Foreign Policy) Faysal Itani - Turkey entered the Syrian war directly for the first time Wednesday, sending tanks and special forces to support a rebel offensive on the Islamic State's only remaining stronghold on the Turkish border. The campaign may launch a new era of U.S.-Turkish cooperation in Syria. The U.S. was heavily dependent on the PYD, an affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - a U.S.-designated terrorist group and a sworn enemy of Turkey. The U.S. desperately needs an ally that can deliver results against the Islamic State, work with local Arab citizens who are suspicious of Kurdish groups, and serve as a strategic international partner rather than a local militia. The writer is resident senior fellow at the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East at the Atlantic Council.