News / Turkey

Turkey, US to launch joint anti-Daesh offensive: Ankara

Wednesday, 18 November 2015 4:34 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 18 November 2015 4:44 PM ]

US Secretary of State John Kerry (L) speaks with Turkey's Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioglu on the sidelines as their two heads of state address reporters at the Regnum Carya Resort in Antalya, Turkey, November 15, 2015. (Reuters photo)

Turkey has announced plans for what it calls launching a joint operation with the the Us against presence of Daesh Takfiri terror group along its border with Syria.

Turkish Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioglu made the announcement on Wednesday in remarks to the state-run news agency Anatolia, adding that Daesh militants are present along his country’s border with Syria.

"We have certain plans to put an end to the control that IS (Daesh) is still exercising on a zone of our frontier," he said, noting that when these plans are completed, the operations would go on with more intensity.

The top diplomat, however, did not specify the nature of the plans.

Daesh "is still present in a zone on our border. We will not tolerate it keeping a presence on our border," he said.

The comments came after US Secretary of State John Kerry said late Tuesday that Washington is “entering an operation with the Turks" to shut off 98 kilometers (61 miles) of the Turkish border still not secure from the Daesh extremists.

Turkey is said to have been a staunch backer of the terror group, Daesh, facilitating the militants' passage into war-torn Syria. Ankara is actively involved in helping militant groups fighting the Syrian government forces.

Turkish opposition daily Cumhuriyet published videos in a June report implicating the Turkish intelligence service, MIT, in ensuring safe passage into Syria for Daesh terrorists.

In another development, Ankara says Turkish security forces on Tuesday killed a suspected member of Daesh and arrested 21 others as they tried to illegally enter Turkey from Syria.

In this Sept. 28, 2014, file photo, Syrians are seen at the Turkish border crossing of Oncunipar, Kilis, Turkey. (AP photo)

The army said in a Wednesday statement that the incident took place in Turkey's Kilis province. "Twenty-one people, including nine children, were detained," the statement added but did not give further information.

Turkish police also detained eight people at Istanbul's Ataturk airport late on Tuesday on suspicion of having links with Daesh.

This file photo shows Turkish riot police (AP photo)

The group had traveled from Morocco, claiming that they had wanted to stay in Istanbul for a vacation and that they had hotel reservations. However, police found no evidence of their booking.

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