Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he has responded positively to a US request for a joint operation against the Islamic State group’s self-declared capital in Syria, the Hurriyet newspaper reported.
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“If we want to cleanse Syria and Iraq of Daesh, it was important that we mount operations both in Mosul and in Raqqa”.
Even though both countries nominally oppose Islamic State and Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, the USA places a greater priority on defeating Islamic State. We said this would not be a problem from our perspective, ” he said, stressing, “More discussions would follow”. The Kurdish forces have been employed as the Pentagon’s main proxy forces in terms of ground operations against ISIS, receiving weapons, funding, training and support from U.S. special operations units on the ground in Syria.
“I said our soldiers should come together and discuss, then what is necessary will be done”, Erdogan was quoted as saying by the Hurriyet daily.
Erdogan has attempted to reset the American-Turkish diplomatic paradigm since accusing Washington of being responsible for a “sea of blood” in Syria in February, now hoping to cooperate on the ground after American officials warned the YPG to stay east of the Euphrates River, far from the Turkish border.
A group of 292 Syrians went back to the Syrian town of Jarablus from Turkey on Wednesday, marking the first formal return of civilians since Ankara launched a military incursion two weeks ago to try to secure the border region, a Turkish official said.
“Actions that we carry out against DAESH in Syria is, we believe, in the national security interests of the United States and our allies and our partners”, agency spokesman Mark Toner said.
They also warned that continued “Turkish aggression” will be considered as “a provocation and military incitement by the Turkish army to ignite war”. It demands the ouster of “Bashar al-Assad and his clique” within six months and the installation of a “transitional governing body” that would rule the country for 18 months leading up to elections.
Erdogan said any Turkish role would have to be worked out separately. The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has fought a three-decade insurgency for Kurdish autonomy in southeastern Turkey.
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“At the same time, we’re working with the Syrian Democratic Forces in a plan to envelop and collapse ISIL’s control of Raqqah”, Carter said.
