Turkey Says "Comprehensive Battle against ISIL" to Be Launched Soon

Turkey formally approved the use of its air bases by US and coalition aircraft late last month, a major change in policy after years of reluctance in taking a front-line role against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorists in northern Syria, Reuters reports citing local media.

"As part of our agreement with the US we have made progress regarding the opening up of our bases, particularly Incirlik," Cavusoglu told state broadcaster TRT, referring to a major air base near the southern city of Adana.

"We're seeing that manned and unmanned American planes are arriving and soon we will launch a comprehensive battle against ISIL all together," he said during a trip to Malaysia.

Turkey and the United States have been working on plans to provide air cover for a group of US-trained Syrian rebels and jointly sweep ISIL fighters from a strip of northern Syria stretching about 80 km (50 miles) along the Turkish border.

Diplomats familiar with the plans claim cutting off ISIL' access to the border, over which foreign fighters and supplies have flowed, could be a game-changer in the fight against the insurgents.

But there are major challenges.

Washington said Tuesday it had indications some of the rebels trained by its military were captured by fighters from Al-Qaeda's Syria wing, Nusra Front, underscoring the vulnerability of a group thought to number less than 60 who only deployed to the battlefield in recent weeks.