Turkish F-16s struck positions of the Islamic State (IS) terror militia inside Syria early Friday morning, marking a major escalation in the multi-faceted conflict. The air-strikes followed the death of a Turkish soldier inside Turkish territory Thursday evening as a result of fire from IS positions. In related news, it was announced Thursday that Turkey has agreed to let the US launch air strikes against IS in Syria from Incirlik air base in southern Turkey, which will greatly improve the ability of the Pentagon to battle IS. A White House statement also said that stronger efforts would be made towards “a political settlement to the conflict in Syria” in an apparent nod to Turkey’s longstanding desire to oppose the Assad regime. Elsewhere, an emissary for Iranian business interests told a Turkish newspaper this week that senior officials in Ankara were involved in a scheme to bypass sanctions on Iran including close to $20 billion in illegal trade. Read More