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Ankara may be counting on US-Russian rivalry in Syria

Unable to make its own mark, Ankara continues to vacillate between Moscow and Washington in an apparent effort to secure support to roll back gains by Syrian Kurds it considers terrorists.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany July 7, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX3AI4I
US President Donald Trump speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting at the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 7, 2017. — REUTERS/Carlos Barria

The Syrian crisis has taken many unexpected turns since 2011. The involvement of local and global powers has not only complicated matters but also produced unwanted results for neighboring countries such as Turkey and Iraq.

Ankara, whose own involvement in the crisis is marked mostly by failures due to a series of miscalculations, has found itself forced to engage in delicate balancing acts with the principal players in the crisis.

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