Turkey Seeks Russian, Iranian Consent for Syria Airstrikes
- Ankara says distrust of U.S. continues over unkept promises
- Turkey army, intelligence chief in Russia for Syria talks
A Turkish Air Force F-16
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Turkey drew closer to its threatened offensive against Kurdish separatist fighters in northwest Syria, sending top security chiefs to Russia to seek permission to use Syrian airspace for strikes.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu dismissed U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s attempts to allay Turkey’s fears about a border security force incorporating thousands of Kurdish fighters that the American-led coalition against Islamic State has said will be formed. The concept of such a force has outraged Turkey, which says the Kurdish fighters have designs on Turkish territory.