TURKEY AND RUSSIA COMPLICATE THE SYRIA BATTLESPACE: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is in Brussels today, where he plans to meet one-on-one with his Turkish counterpart about the U.S. desire for Turkey to protect its border without undermining the fight against the Islamic State. Mattis and others discussed the situation yesterday with Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli at a meeting of the global coalition against ISIS in Rome. But Mattis has told reporters traveling with him to NATO headquarters that he will have a private session with Canikli at the NATO defense ministerial that begins today, as Turkey’s offensive against Kurds along its border is drawing U.S.-backed forces away from the task of finishing off ISIS.

“He laid out the rationale. We laid out the rationale for working this to a solution that took into account Turkey’s legitimate security concerns,” Mattis said of Canikli, who at the meeting vigorously defended Turkey’s “Operation Olive Branch” offensive in the Afrin border region, and accused NATO allies of failing Turkey, a loyal alliance member for 66 years. Turkey will “go to any length” to clear its border of terrorists, Canikli said, adding “NATO countries are not giving enough support.”

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