According to the newspaper, Western countries are aware Ankara's main goal is not to eliminate terrorists, but rather fight against the Kurdish militias who proved extremely efficient in destroying jihadist strongholds.
Ankara fears that the Kurdish fighters will create a "corridor" along the Syrian-Turkish which may spark secessionist movements among Turkish Kurds. According to the newspaper, Turkey's direct intervention in the conflict will thus only complicate the situation in Syria and is unlikely to contribute to the early resolution of the crisis.
Recently, the Turkish government additionally called on the members of the US-led anti-terrorist coalition to send ground troops into Syria. However, none of the NATO allies seem to be too excited about this idea.
According to the newspaper, Washington is unwilling to become directly involved in another Middle Eastern ground war. Moreover, the US officials are starting to question Turkey as a reliable ally.
A US-led coalition of 66 nations has been bombing terrorist targets in Syria since September 2014 without any approval of the Syrian government or the UN Security Council. Despite coalition efforts, Daesh maintains control over large swaths of territory, including the city Mosul in Iraq and the group's de facto "capital" in Raqqa, Syria.
