The role of Turkey in the fight against ISIL has been in question as the country involves itself in battles both in Syria and Iraq. In the latest development, a convoy of Turkish tanks and other armoured vehicles are advancing towards the town of Silopi, near the Iraqi border. The move coincides with the offensive to retake the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. 

Baghdad is certainly not happy about this. It has been against any Turkish involvement in this battle to liberate Mosul since it began in mid October. Turkey however has launched air strikes as part of the campaign against ISIL in Mosul and its own foreign ministry has confirmed that Turkish artillery has killed scores of ISIL militants. But their presence in Northern Iraq has been on the invitation of the Kurdistan regional Government - not Baghdad and that's where the real problem lies.

The Iraqi Prime Minster Haider al Abadi has said of this beefing up of military presence along its boarder that these Turkish forces should not enter Iraq, warning that if they do they will pay a very heavy price.

Meanwhile Turkey's top military chief Hulusi Akar has been in Moscow, one of Damascus' main allies, talking to them about the military situation over in neighbouring Syria and in particularly the situation in Aleppo and how to go about normalizing the situation there.

Turkey has of course been very active militarily in Northern Syria over the last two months with their operation Euphrates Shield however that has been heavily objected to by Damascus, Damascus even vowing to shot down any Turkish air force airplane in Syrian skies. So Ankara has paused their air strikes.

This all comes of course as the US is planning an imminent offensive against the Syrian city of Raqqa, which the Islamic State claim to be their self declared Caliphate.

Washington does acknowledge Turkey's positive role in this offensive, however Ankara is against the timing of this offensive saying it clashes with the offensive in Mosul, that operation should be concluded first. It is also against the inclusion of Syrian Kurdish fighters in this operation who they deem connected to the PKK, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers party here in Turkey.