Turkey has so far declined to take a frontline role in the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State but officials said earlier this week Erdogan has been negotiating on what Turkey's role might now be.
"The logic that assumes Turkey would not take a position militarily is wrong," Erdogan said in an interview with the Hurriyet newspaper on his way back from New York, where he attended the United Nations General Assembly meetings.
Erdogan said negotiations are underway to determine how and by which countries the air strikes and a potential ground operation would be undertaken and that Turkey is ready to take part.
"In the distribution of responsibilities, every country will have a certain duty. Whatever is Turkey's role, Turkey will play it," he said, adding that an air operation alone was not sufficient.
"You can't finish off such a terrorist organisation only with air strikes. Ground forces are complementary ... You have to look at it as a whole. Obviously I'm not a soldier but the air (operations) are logistical. If there's no ground force, it would not be permanent," he said.
Turkey would defend its border if necessary, Erdogan said and added that the necessary steps would be taken once a parliamentary mandate that enables Turkish troops to conduct operations outside its borders would be passed next week.................http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/1.617914
27/9/14
--
-
Related:
??? Syrian shells hit Turkish soil as Islamic State advances on Syrian border town???
Egypt says Erdogan's UNGA speech 'full of lies and fabrications'
Turkey has scotched claims that warplanes involved in attacks on militants in Syria used the Incirlik air base and Turkish air space.
GR
FR
DE
ES
IT
RU
EU
No-fly and safe zone, Turkey's priorities in Syria: Erdogan...
ReplyDeleteTurkey's priority is to establish a no-fly zone over Syrian air space and safe zones inside Syria to guarantee the security of Turkey's borders and to stop the massive refugee inflow from Syria, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Friday.
Erdogan explained that the proposed measures to be taken in Syria and Iraq against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, ISIL, topped his talks with U.S. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. At a press conference in Ankara, he added that the outcome of discussions on what role Turkey will take in the region will be addressed by the Turkish government.
"We cannot ignore the developments at our Syrian border. Around 1 million asylum-seekers are in our territories. This should come to a stop one way or another," Erdogan said.
The president wrapped up his discussions in the UN headquarters New York Thursday with a phone conversation with Obama and face-to-face talks with Biden.
"We cannot accept ISIL's actions, which have nothing to do with Islam. Our religion is the religion of unity, solidarity and peace," he said.
"We have to do our best as a Muslim country. We cannot be an onlooker while the Christian world takes such a step," he added...................http://www.aa.com.tr/en/headline/395818--no-fly-and-safe-zone-turkeys-priorities-in-syria-erdogan
27/9/14
A US airstrike has killed at least seven civilians, including children, in northern Iraq, sources said....
ReplyDeleteThe attack targeted an eastern neighborhood in the city of Mosul on Friday night as part of the US-led military campaign against the ISIL terrorist group in Iraq and Syria, according to Iraqi sources.
The Pentagon said on Friday that 10 airstrikes were carried out in Iraq and Syria targeting ISIL on Thursday and Friday, destroying several tanks, armed vehicles and militant bases.
In Iraq, the US military said it demolished a guard shack and three four-wheel drive military vehicles as well as a checkpoint and command and control node belonging to ISIL. There were also three strikes on ISIL targets in eastern Syria.
A UK-based Syrian opposition group said on Friday that the US-led coalition has bombed oil facilities in east and northeast Syria, where ISIL pumps oil...............http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=173248&cid=23&fromval=1
27/9/14