Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he has responded positively to a US request for a joint operation against Islamic State’s self-declared capital in Syria, Hurriyet newspaper reported.
Advertisement
Speaking to reporters aboard a plane as he returned from a G-20 meeting, Erdogan said that the issue had been brought up by US President Barack Obama during the summit in China.
“Mr President (Erdogan) told Obama that as Turkey we look favourably carrying out such a joint operation”, he said.
Held by DAESH since 2013, Jarablus was easily recaptured by the Free Syrian Army supported by Turkish tanks and aviation on the first day of Operation Euphrates Shield launched by Ankara on August 24 with the aim of clearing terrorist groups along its border with Syria.
Turkey plunged into Syria with ground forces for the first time, using tanks, artillery and air power to help a force comprising US- and Turkish-backed Syrian rebels seize a border area from Islamic State.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim curtly replied that “operations will continue until all terrorist elements have been neutralised, until all threats to our borders, our lands and our citizens are completely over”.
Washington says Turkish attacks on Kurdish-aligned militias damage a US-backed coalition that is fighting Islamic State.
Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman for Erdogan, said Tuesday that the ceasefire could begin with a 48-hour-truce that would then be lengthened and would see both the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and opposition fighters halt fire. In the past, the U.S. and Turkey have announced ambitious new joint policies concerning Syria that failed to materialise as disagreements emerged over what had been agreed to.
“Obama wants to do some things jointly concerning Raqqa”, Erdogan said.
“It is not just us but other countries that must train and equip local forces that must contribute and give direction”, Cavusoglu stated. “We do not have the chance to take a backward step”.
“But at this stage we have to show our presence in the region”.
The majority-Kurdish Afrin area has been under the control of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) since government forces pulled out in 2012.
Without giving further details, he said: “What can be done will become clear after the discussions”.
“What is important is that these plans can be implemented”, he said, adding that they required the support of all parties in the Syrian conflict. The U.S. considers the YPG as its ally in the war against ISIS, and Washington had previously asked Ankara to collaborate with the group in its operations against ISIS.
Ankara wants worldwide support to take control of a rectangle of territory stretching about 40 km into Syria, creating a buffer between two Kurdish-held cantons to the east and west and against Islamic State to the south.
Advertisement
On 7 September, UK foreign minister Boris Johnson and the High Negotiations Committee of the Syrian Opposition (HNC) and other foreign ministers from across the world meet in London.
