SUMMARY
The conflict between Turkey and the Islamic State IS is connected to the Syria conflict and was triggered by Turkey joining the United States of America led coalition in 2014 to fight IS. As a response, IS promised the ”conquest of Istanbul” leading to an active conflict between Government of Turkey - IS in 2015. In 2016 the conflict reached the intensity level of war when Turkey launched a military intervention in northern Syria to drive IS and Kurdish milita away from the Turkish-Syrian border. In the beginning of 2017 the IS withdrew from the city of Al Bab in Syria, which led to the Turkish forces and their rebel allies being in almost complete control the city. There were a few events in Turkey later on in 2017, but after that there were no activity in the conflict.
The conflict between Turkey and the Islamic State IS is connected to the Syria conflict and was triggered by Turkey joining the United States of America led coalition in September 2014 to fight IS. The coalition forces managed to stop the advance of IS in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. In response IS shifted its attacks to the Kurdish town of Kobane in Syria and was finally forced by the Kurds, with help from US airstrikes, to retreat after suffering heavy losses.
In June 2015 there was a statement in the IS monthly publication with rhetoric against Ankara condemning it as one of many “apostate regimes” allying with the “crusaders”. The article promised the “conquest of Istanbul”. Shortly thereafter there was a bomb attack in the Turkish southeast. In both 2015 and 2016 there were deadly IS suicide attacks in Turkey leading to the death of more than 100 civilians. On 12 January 2016 a suicide bomber detonated himself next to a tourist group in Istanbul’s most popular touristic and historical district, Sultanahmet, leading to the death of ten civilians. The attack in Istanbul was different from the other incidents as it was directed at random tourists at an iconic Istanbul site and ultimately at Turkey itself. Again the rhetoric about the Conquest of Istanbul was used.
In this context the conflict between the Government of Turkey - IS became active during the second half of 2015 and reached the intensity level of war in 2016. In 2017 almost all events and deaths took place in Syria in the province of Aleppo in and around the city of al Bab. The events are connected to the Turkish military intervention referred to as “Euphrates Shield” operation launched in northern Syria 24 August 2016 to drive IS and Kurdish milita away from the Turkish-Syrian border. IS withdrew from Al Bab on 23 February and in the end of the month Turkish forces and their rebel allies almost completely controlled the city.
