Turkey wants Syria ground operation, with allies

Official apparently contradicts his own defense minister, who said country has ‘no plan to intervene’

By AFP 16 February 2016, 2:04 pm

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Tanks stationed at a Turkish army position near the Oncupinar crossing gate close to the town of Kilis, south central Turkey, fire towards the Syria border, on February 16, 2016. (AFP/BULENT KILIC)

ISTANBUL — Turkey is in favor of a ground operation into neighboring Syria but only with its allies, a senior Turkish official said on Tuesday.

“We want a ground operation with our international allies,” the official told reporters in Istanbul.

“There is not going to be a unilateral military operation from Turkey to Syria,” the official said, but added: “Without a ground operation it is impossible to stop the fighting in Syria.”

Turkey sees the ouster of Syrian President Bashar aAssad as essential to end Syria’s five-year war and is highly critical of Iran and Russia over their support for the Damascus regime.

“We are asking the coalition partners that there should be a ground operation,” the official said.

Turkish artillery has struck at Kurdish militia targets in Syria over the past few days, putting Ankara at odds with the United States which supports the Syrian Kurds fighting Islamic State group jihadists.

Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz had said on Sunday that Ankara had no intention of intervening in Syria.