Train-equip program has started in Turkey

?The train-equip program started in Turkey. 300 Syrian rebels already arrived on May 9.? 

These words were uttered by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavu?o?lu this week.

For months we have been questioning if and when the train-equip program for Syrian rebels would begin in Turkey. It was even alleged veryrecently that the Turkish part of the program would be cancelled completely. 

Having the opportunity to have a tete-a-tete conversation with Foreign Minister Çavu?o?lu last week, this was the question I asked him immediately: Will the program start at all?

Çavu?o?lu replied that the first group composed of 300 rebels arrived on May 9 and their training started last week. He added that the vetting process was implemented together with Turkey and the U.S., which had been in longstanding disagreement on the target of the program. Washington wants the rebels to fight only against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), while Ankara wants them to struggle against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. 

?Of course at the moment the first and foremost target is ISIL. However they will struggle for the stability, security and peace of Syria. Hence, they will struggle also against al-Assad?s forces. We have reached consensus on that,? Çavu?o?lu says.

According to the minister, Turkey and the U.S. are working together on the technical details, such as how and from which specific area the rebels will enter Syria following their training.

I was able to learn more details from a high level official in Ankara. He started our conversation talking about the three main channels through which the Syrian rebels receive support. The first one is the train and equip program, which is, according to him, the only way...