Turkey carries out first air strikes as part of anti-Isis US coalition
Attacks on targets in northern Syria follow agreement on the ‘procedures and technical details’ of cooperation between the two nations
Saturday 29 August 2015 19.01 BST, Associated Press, Source
Turkish fighter jets have carried out their first air strikes as part of the US-led coalition against Islamic State in Syria. A Turkish foreign ministry statement said that late on Friday the jets began attacking Isis targets across the border in Syria that were deemed to be threats to Turkey.
After months of hesitation, Turkey agreed last month to take a more active role in the fight against Isis. Turkish jets used smart bombs to attack Isis positions in Syria without crossing into Syrian airspace, and later Turkey granted US jets access to an airbase close to the Syrian border.
Friday’s attacks by Turkey were the first launched as part of the US-led campaign and took place after Turkish and US officials announced they had reached agreement “on the procedures and technical details” of their cooperation, which calls for Turkey to be fully integrated into the coalition air campaign.
“Our fighter aircraft, together with warplanes belonging to the coalition, began as of yesterday evening to jointly carry out air operations against [Isis] targets that also constitute a threat against the security of our country,” a spokesman for the foreign ministry said. “The fight against the terrorist organisation is a priority for Turkey.” The statement did not provide further detail on the targets or say how many jets were involved.
Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency, reporting from Aleppo and citing unnamed local sources, said coalition forces had raided Isis targets in the Isis-held town of Manbij in Aleppo province. It said the raids destroyed Isis positions but there was no information on casualties. The Dogan news agency, meanwhile, said two Turkish warplanes hit four Isis targets north of Aleppo. It did not provide a source for the report or any further information.
On Thursday, Isis militants seized five villages from rebel groups in northern Syria as they advanced toward the strategically important town of Marea near the Turkish border. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and other groups said Isis carried out a suicide bombing on the outskirts of Marea during fierce fighting in the area.
The Isis advance was in the northern Aleppo province near where Turkey and the US have been discussing establishing an Isis-free zone.
In Washington, the Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said the Turkish airstrikes were “fully integrated” with the coalition campaign. “We commend Turkey for its participation in counter-[Isis] air operations alongside other coalition nations in the international campaign to degrade and ultimately defeat [Isis],” said Cook said.
Earlier this month, US F-16 jets launched their first air strikes from the Turkish base of Incirlik, just a short distance from targets in northern Syria. Earlier, the US had also begun flying armed drones from Incirlik.
