- Title: Turkey pledges air support to Free Syrian Army
- Date: 14th November 2016
- Summary: ANKARA, TURKEY (NOVEMBER 14, 2016) (REUTERS) TURKISH DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, NUMAN KURTULMUS, WALKING TO PODIUM CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, NUMAN KURTULMUS, SAYING: "The Free Syrian Army members are very close to al-Bab. Turkey, as mentioned before, resumed its air support of the operation (al-Bab). Our support in this region is a
- Embargoed: 29th November 2016 15:07
- Keywords: Turkey Syria Free Syrian Army government coalition fighting
- Location: ANKARA, TURKEY
- City: ANKARA, TURKEY
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA00158F396V
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said on Monday (November 14) that his country was ready to resume its air support of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in an attempt to drive Islamic State from the Syrian city of al-Bab.
"The Free Syrian Army members are very close to al-Bab. Turkey, as mentioned before, resumed its air support of the operation (al-Bab). Our support in this region is a precautionary measure that followed our discussions on Aleppo with Russia and other relevant parties. Those discussions opened an opportunity for Turkey to once again offer air support to the Free Syrian Army and this support will be provided," Numan Kurtulmus said at a news conference in Ankara after Turkish cabinet meeting.
Al-Bab is located 30 km. (19 miles) south of Syria's border with Turkey and the same distance from Aleppo, meaning its capture could help rebels to advance against pro-government forces besieging their comrades inside the city.
The city of al-Bab had a population of 63,000 before the war, according to a 2004 census by Syria's Central Bureau of Statistics, and is a hub for major roads in the region north of Aleppo.
Al-Bab also sits between two Kurdish-ruled enclaves and its capture would thwart Kurdish ambitions to join them, something some Syrian Kurds regard as necessary to advance their goal of protecting Kurdish autonomy in northern Syria.
While Turkey's launch of the Euphrates Shield campaign in August was partly aimed at pushing Islamic State from border areas after the jihadist group shelled Turkish towns, it was also intended to prevent the Kurdish enclaves from joining.
"Turkey's aim is clear: to cleanse 5,000 square kilometres of area from terrorist organisations, secure the retreat of PYD and YPG to the east of Manbij, Euphrates, and clear the area from Daesh (Arabic acronym for Islamic State) and return the region to its residents. Within those objectives the Euphrates Shield Operation will go forward to al-Bab as planned. When we reach all our goals, this operation will end," Kurtulmus said.
The YPG is the strongest element of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a U.S.-backed alliance of armed groups fighting against Islamic State which last week began an offensive against territory held by the jihadist group north of Raqqa.
Turkey has also said that after the Euphrates Shield operation captures al-Bab, it will target Manbij, a city 40 km. to the east that has been held by forces allied to the SDF for months.
That could prompt a much wider escalation between Turkey and Kurdish groups that could in turn foil efforts by the United States to orchestrate an SDF assault on Islamic State in Raqqa. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None