The opening of the border between Turkey and Syria's Rojava (Western Kurdistan), which we have been treating at different times with optimism, caution and suspicion, has not achieved any of its desired results.

On Aug. 6, when I met in Istanbul with a representative of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), he told me that they were asked by Turkish Foreign Ministry officials to "wait 10 days for good developments." The most significant development expected from the dialogue Ankara established with PYD co-chair Salih Muslim was the opening of border crossings between Turkey and Rojava, the Kurdish region in Syria’s north. For the Kurds, the opening of the crossings would be an important sign of the end of Turkey’s hostile attitude, held ever since the PYD took control of the region.

Last weekend, I spoke with the same PYD official again after his return from the border near Urfa and Suruc. He said that promises had not been kept.

"Turkish officials don’t even take my phone calls now," he complained. Turkey’s demand in response to its rapprochement with Rojava was "for the PYD to clarify its position and to join the opposition fighting [Syrian President Bashar] al-Assad. The PYD official said, "If Turkey had recognized and assisted us, we could have had more leeway in joining the Syrian National Coalition [SNC]. But lack of confidence between us is still a serious issue."