Special to WorldTribune.com

Turkey needs to focus its military attacks more on Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) instead of Kurdish opposition forces, U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said.

“We need it to do more within its own territory, so it controls its border, which it has not done effectively since ISIL first arose,” Carter said on Dec. 2, according to Reuters.

“We would like them to operate more both in the air and on the ground. Most of the air operations are not directed at ISIL. They are directed at the PKK,” he added, referring to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

U.S. President Barack Obama had earlier on Dec. 2 called for Turkey and Russia to end their dispute over Turkey’s downing of a Russian Su-24 and focus on the fight against ISIL.

“I want to be very clear: Turkey is a NATO ally. The U.S. supports Turkish rights to defend itself and its airspace and its territory,” Obama said after a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Paris.

“We all have a common enemy and that is ISIL and I want to make sure we focus on that threat,” Obama said.

  Ashton Carter, Ashton Carter: Turkey should do more against ISIL, PKK, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, WorldTribune.com