Is there a road to Raqqa for Turkey?
Syria won't be the only country affected by the fate of Raqqa, as Turkey's hopes for involvement dwindle.
Turkey is really feeling the heat as parties involved in the Syrian war deliberate the future of key cities once the Islamic State (IS) is forced out.
For months now, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been citing Raqqa and Kurdish-controlled Manbij as Turkey’s primary military and political targets in Syria. Turkey has been feverishly trying to persuade the United States to work with the Turkish army and the Free Syrian Army in the final thrust to Raqqa, instead of the Kurdish nationalist Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Syria and its military arm, the People's Protection Units (YPG).
But developments aren't matching Turkey’s expectations. There are strong indications that US President Donald Trump plans to work with the PYD/YPG. What then? How would Turkey perceive this and how would it be reflected in Turkish politics?
Cengiz Tomar, a professor at the Middle East Research Institute of Marmara University, doesn't expect Turkey to stand idly by.
