ISTANBUL: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday signalled Turkey would take a more active role in the coalition against Islamic State (IS) militants following the release of Turkish hostages held by them.
Ankara has for months frustrated the West with its distinctly low-key role in the campaign against IS jihadists but insisted its hands were tied by concerns over the fate of the hostages.
But Erdogan has now set up a possible critical change in policy on October 2 when parliament is due to meet on extending mandates allowing Turkish military action in Iraq and Syria.
“Now the position has changed. What follows will be much different,” Erdogan told reporters after flying back to Istanbul from a trip to the United States where he met US Vice President Joe Biden.
He said that “necessary steps” would be taken by parliament on October 2. “This mandate is the mandate to authorise the armed forces,” he said, without specifying the exact nature of the measures.
“We do not have the luxury to say terrorist actions along the 1,250km Turkish border with Syria and Iraq do not concern us,” Erdogan added. His comments came as IS militants pressed their advance in northern Syria around the town of Ain Al Arab just south of the Turkish border, which has sparked an influx of 160,000 refugees into Turkey.AFP
