Turkey’s “permissiveness” towards jihadists traveling through its territory to Syria is greatly aiding the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing yesterday.

Agence France-Presse reports:

The Turkish government was more concerned with Kurdish opposition and the country’s economy, the director of national intelligence said. …

“And of course, the consequence of that is a permissive environment… because of their laws and the ability of people to travel through Turkey en route to Syria,” Clapper said.

“So somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 percent of those foreign fighters find their way to Syria through Turkey.”

Turkey’s cooperation with ISIS has shattered its image as a reliable Western ally in the fight against ISIS. In addition to its permissive approach to fighters passing through its territory, Turkey has been hesitant to allow the United States to use its airbases, has become a market for ISIS smuggling operations, and has allowed ISIS to recruit in its territory.

[Photo: Senate Armed Services Committee ]