“Now we are training and equipping the moderate (Syrian) opposition together with the United States, and we will also start our fight against Daesh very effectively soon,” Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters at the start of the meeting with Kerry, using the Arab acronym for the militant group.
“Then the ground will be safer for the moderate opposition that are fighting Daesh on the ground,” he added.
The two envoys met at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of a regional security gathering hosted by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Washington has long been pushing its long-time ally Turkey to step up the fight against the so-called ISIS, something Ankara had until recently been reluctant to do.
That position changed after deadly attacks inside Turkey, some of which were blamed on ISIS.
Turkey has since carried out a series of air strikes, claiming they were targeting militants from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq as well as ISIS militants.
But observers say PKK fighters been on the receiving end of far more airstrikes that ISIS.
Last month Ankara also said it would allow U.S. warplanes to launch attacks against Islamic State from Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey.
The moves marked a significant increase in Turkey’s role in the fight against the militants, who have seized large areas of Syria and Iraq.
Turkey shares a 500-mile (800-kilometer) border with Syria, and a section of its southern frontier abuts directly with territory controlled by the ISIS group.
AFP
alarabiya.net
5/8/15
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Related:
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US warning to Syria army met with scepticism in Damascus
US jets to begin striking Syrian forces if they target pro-US rebels
US, Turkey Differ Over How to Fight IS From Incirlik Air Base
- La Turquie va commencer "bientôt" à combattre l'Etat islamique en Syrie...
(Belga) La Turquie va "bientôt" commencer à combattre le groupe Etat islamique dans le nord de la Syrie, a déclaré son chef de la diplomatie Mevlut Cavusoglu, lors d'une rencontre avec son homologue américain John Kerry en Malaisie.
"Actuellement, avec les Etats-Unis, nous entraînons et équipons l'opposition modérée et nous allons aussi démarrer notre combat contre Daech, bientôt, et de manière efficace", a assuré le ministre qui était brièvement interrogé par un journaliste en marge des réunions annuelles de l'Association des nations de l'Asie du Sud-Est (Asean) auxquelles participent de nombreux autres pays. (Belga)
rtl.be
5/8/15
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Turkey says ‘extensive’ fight against IS group to start soon...
ReplyDeleteTurkey said on Wednesday a US-led coalition will soon launch a "comprehensive battle" against Islamic State (IS) group militants in northern Syria from Turkish air bases.
Ending years of reluctance, Turkey last week carried out air strikes against IS group targets in Syria and agreed to allow US warplanes to use Incirlik Air Base for operations, taking a more frontline role in the US-led coalition's fight against the extremists.
US officials said the first armed drone missions out of Turkey began last weekend and that the military was planning to add manned aircraft flights from the country.
Officials said that so far, none of the drones had launched air strikes, but they may begin soon.
Ankara and Washington have been working on plans to provide air cover for a group of US-trained Syrian rebels and jointly sweep the Islamic State group from a strip of territory stretching about 80 km along the Turkish frontier.
"As part of our agreement with the US we have made progress regarding the opening up of our bases, particularly Incirlik," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told state broadcaster TRT, referring to the major air base near the southern city of Adana..............http://www.france24.com/en/20150805-turkey-says-extensive-battle-against-islamic-state-group-will-start-soon
5/8/15
Ankara se prépare à combattre l'Etat islamique en Syrie...
ReplyDeleteLa Turquie commencera bientôt à combattre les djihadistes de l'Etat islamique dans le nord de la Syrie, a fait savoir le ministre turc des Affaires étrangères Mevlut Cavusoglu.
Selon Ankara, cela permettra notamment aux opposants syriens modérés qui combattent les islamistes de se sentir "plus sûrs" sur le terrain.
"Avec les Etats-Unis, nous entraînons et équipons aujourd'hui l'opposition syrienne modérée et nous avons également l'intention de démarrer bientôt notre combat contre l'EI de manière efficace", a annoncé le chef de la diplomatie turque devant les journalistes à l'issue d'une rencontre avec son homologue américain John Kerry en Malaisie.............http://sptnkne.ws/8g2
The Al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front has withdrawn from frontline positions against ISIS north of Aleppo and ceded them to other rebels, leaving an area of northern Syria where Turkey wants to establish a buffer zone...
ReplyDeleteA Nusra Front statement dated Sunday criticized a Turkish-U.S. plan to drive ISIS from the Syrian-Turkish border area, saying the aim was to serve "Turkey's national security" rather than the fight against President Bashar Assad.
The Nusra Front, an enemy of ISIS, said participation in the campaign was forbidden.
The United States and Turkey last month announced their intention to drive ISIS fighters from a strip of territory in northern Syria near the Turkish border, providing air cover for Syrian rebels in the area.
ISIS, the focus of a U.S.-led military campaign in Syria and Iraq, controls a strip of territory north of Aleppo that abuts the Turkish border....Reuters.......http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2015/Aug-10/310466-nusra-front-says-withdraws-from-front-line-against-isis.ashx
10/8/15