ANKARA // US drones and aircraft have begun arriving at a Turkish airbase close to the border with Syria, and an “extensive” fight against ISIL militants will soon begin, Turkey’s foreign minister said Wednesday.
Ending years of reluctance, Turkey last week carried out air strikes against ISIL targets in Syria and agreed to allow US fighter jets to use Incirlik Air Base for operations, taking a more front line role in the US-led coalition’s fight against the extremists.
US officials said the first armed drone missions out of Turkey began last weekend and that the military was planning to add manned aircraft flights from the country. Officials said that so far, none of the drones had launched air strikes, but they may begin soon.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an Asean meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, said the battle would begin soon, but did not elaborate.
“As part of the agreement reached with the United States we have made great strides on the technicalities of Incirlik’s use and the US aircraft have started to arrive,” the state-run Anadolu Agency quoted him as saying.
“Soon we will together start an extensive battle against Daesh.”
The Turkish minister also told reporters that once the “effective” fight has begun, the ground would become safer for moderate opposition forces fighting ISIL.
His comments came following reports that members of the Free Syrian Army who went through a US training programme to fight ISIL militants were captured by Al Nusra Front in Syria.
* Associated Press