Turkey, US Conclude Talks on Anti-ISIL Operations
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Turkey's foreign minister says Turkish and US officials have concluded "technical talks" on operations against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.
Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters Tuesday that Turkish and US military officials have sealed an agreement on technical details and procedures.
Cavusoglu didn't provide details but he has previously said an extensive and coordinated operation against the militant group would start soon, AP reported.
Ending months of reluctance, Turkey has agreed to a deeper involvement in the fight against ISIL. It has carried out raids against ISIL targets in Syria and is allowing a key air base close to the Syrian border to be used in the US-led campaign against the extremists.
The move follows a suicide bombing in July, blamed on ISIL, which killed 33 people in Suruc on the Syrian border.
Turkey has in addition launched more than 400 air strikes against PKK camps in northern Iraq and southeastern Turkey since late July, in what it says is a response to mounting attacks on police officers and soldiers.
Kurdish activists accuse Turkey of launching the military campaign in a bid to stifle Kurdish political gains in Turkey and territorial ambitions in northern Syria, where groups allied to the PKK have been battling the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorists. Ankara denies these accusations.
