Turkey will fight Islamic State, wants Assad gone - President Erdogan
- 10 years ago
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan says his country will join the fight against Islamic State but will stick to its aim of seeing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad removed from power.
The advance of Islamic State insurgents to within sight of the Turkish army on the Syrian border has piled pressure on Ankara to play a greater role in the U.S.-led coalition carrying out air strikes against the insurgents in Syria and Iraq.
(SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH PRESIDENT, TAYYIP ERDOGAN, SAYING:
"We are ready for any kind of cooperation in fighting against terrorism. However Turkey is not a country in pursuit of temporary solutions nor will Turkey allow others to take advantage of it."
Turkey fears that U.S.-led air strikes, if not accompanied by a broader political strategy, could strengthen Assad and bolster Kurdish militants allied to Kurds in Turkey who have fought for three decades for greater autonomy.
(SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH PRESIDENT, TAYYIP ERDOGAN, SAY
The advance of Islamic State insurgents to within sight of the Turkish army on the Syrian border has piled pressure on Ankara to play a greater role in the U.S.-led coalition carrying out air strikes against the insurgents in Syria and Iraq.
(SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH PRESIDENT, TAYYIP ERDOGAN, SAYING:
"We are ready for any kind of cooperation in fighting against terrorism. However Turkey is not a country in pursuit of temporary solutions nor will Turkey allow others to take advantage of it."
Turkey fears that U.S.-led air strikes, if not accompanied by a broader political strategy, could strengthen Assad and bolster Kurdish militants allied to Kurds in Turkey who have fought for three decades for greater autonomy.
(SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH PRESIDENT, TAYYIP ERDOGAN, SAY