Long a reluctant member of the US-led coalition against Islamic State, Turkey made a dramatic turnaround last week by granting the alliance access to its air bases and launching air raids against both the jihadists and Kurdish militants in Iraq.
Davutoglu was quoted as telling a round table with Turkish newspaper editors that while differences with Washington remained over some aspects of policy in Syria, there was enough common ground to reach agreement on opening up the air bases.
"An important point was the air cover for the (rebel) Free Syrian Army and other moderate elements fighting against Daesh (ISIS/ISIL)," the Hurriyet newspaper quoted him as saying.
"If we are not going to send in land units on the ground, and we will not, then those forces acting as ground forces cooperating with us should be protected," he said.
Davutoglu was also quoted as saying that the Syrian Kurdish PYD party could "have a place in the new Syria" if it did not disturb Turkey, cut all relations with President Bashar Assad's administration and cooperated with opposition forces.
The armed wing of the PYD has emerged as the only notable partner so far on the ground for the US-led alliance as it fights against Islamic State in northern Syria. But the advances by Syria's Kurds have alarmed Turkey, which fears they will stir separatist sentiment among its own Kurdish community.
jpost.com by Reuters
27/7/15
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Related:
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Turkey and US 'planning buffer zone' in northern Syria...
ReplyDeleteThe US and Turkey are working together on military plans to clear the Islamic State (IS) group from parts of northern Syria, American officials say.
They said an "Islamic State-free zone" would ensure greater stability along the Syria-Turkish border.
The talks follow a major shift in Turkey's approach to IS in recent days.
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Washington et Ankara s'entendent pour lutter contre l'EI dans le nord de la Syrie...
ReplyDeleteLes États-Unis et la Turquie ont conjointement décidé lundi de développer leur coopération militaire pour combattre le groupe État islamique (EI) et améliorer la "stabilité le long de la frontière entre la Turquie et la Syrie".
Les États-Unis et la Turquie sont d’accord sur un point : en finir avec le groupe État islamique (EI) dans le nord de la Syrie. Lundi 27 juillet, les deux pays se sont promis de développer leur coopération militaire pour mener à bien leur projet. Ankara a par ailleurs assuré que son offensive pouvait "changer l'équilibre" de la région.
"Le but est d'établir une zone débarrassée de l'EI et d'améliorer la sécurité et la stabilité le long de la frontière entre la Turquie et la Syrie", a déclaré à l'AFP un responsable militaire américain en marge d'une visite du président Barack Obama en Éthiopie........http://www.france24.com/fr/20150727-washington-ankara-eradiquer-ei-nord-syrie-etats-unis-turquie-etat-islamique
27/7/15