Turkish tanks head to the Syrian border, in Karkamis, Turkey. But their removal from the border nonetheless marks a symbolically important moment in the war against the militants, who had long relied on their access to Turkey for supplies. The traffic went both ways, and operatives who participated in attacks in Turkey as well as Paris and Belgium had crossed back across the border from Islamic State territory. At one point the militants controlled towns along a stretch of the border spanning hundreds of miles. In comments to reporters after meeting Obama, Erdogan reiterated that the Kurds are as much of a target of Turkey’s Syria intervention as the Islamic State.

Source: Washington Post September 04, 2016 21:33 UTC