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Turkey does not plan to send ground forces to Syria: foreign minister

Turkey last month made a dramatic shift in policy, sending warplanes to attack the Islamic State in northern Syria

Reuters August 13, 2015 Less than a minute read

A Turkish soldier stands guard at the Turkish-Syrian border in Karkamis, bordering with the Islamic State-held Syrian town of Jarablus, in Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 1, 2015. PHOTO: REUTERS

ISTANBUL: Turkey does not expect to deploy ground forces in Syria to fight Islamic State but that option should remain on the table, Foreign Minister Mevult Cavusoglu said on Thursday.

Long a reluctant partner in the US-led coalition against Islamic State, NATO member Turkey last month made a dramatic shift in policy, sending warplanes to attack the Islamic State in northern Syria. It has also opened its air bases for use in coalition air strikes.

Read: US drone bombs IS target after taking off from Turkey: Turkish official

However, it has not launched ground operations in Syria.

"Right now, no ground operation is envisaged, but in the future whatever is needed to fight Islamic State - including ground operations - should be done. This is my personal opinion," Cavusoglu told HaberTurk TV in an interview.

Read: Turkey to start fight against Islamic State in Syria 'soon': FM

The United States launched its first manned air strikes against Islamic State targets from the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey on Wednesday, the US military said.