Turkey gives a warning sign that it may send its troops into Syria or Iraq and allow allies to use Turkish bases to fight Islamic State, as coalition jets launched air strikes on Wednesday on insurgents lay siege to a town on its southern border with Syria.
The government forwarded a proposal to parliament which would broaden existing powers and permit Ankara to order military action to “defeat attacks directed towards our country from all terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria”.
However, President Tayyip Erdogan said the removal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad remained a Turkish main concern and stressed Ankara’s fears that US-led air strikes without a political strategy would only protract the instability.
Turkey accuses Assad of stoking up the growth of Islamic State through sectarian policies.
“We will fight effectively against both and all other terrorist organisations within the region; this will always be our priority,” he told the opening of parliament, but added: “Tons of bombs dropped from the air will only delay the threat and danger.
“Turkey is not a country in pursuit of temporary solutions nor will Turkey allow others to take advantage of it.”