U.S., Turkish officials hold talks against IS threat in Syria

Turkish and U.S. delegates are discussing since Tuesday the threat posed by the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq, local Daily News reported on Wednesday.

Turkey reinforced its military presence at the Turkish-Syrian border last week, accompanied by local media reports of a possible Turkish intervention in Syria.

The U.S. delegation, including President Obama's special envoys in the fight against IS, Gen. John Allen and Christine Wormuth, undersecretary of defense policy, are holding talks with Turkish officials headed by Turkey's Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu, according to the report.

Washington urged Ankara to take strong action against IS militants, including the use of Incirlik Airbase for the coalition forces' military operations.

Turkey is hesitant to allow U.S. military aircraft's use of its Incirlik Airbase to launch airstrikes into Syria, before an agreement is declared and a no-fly zone and safe havens are available in Syria so that Syrian rebels would be protected from regime forces.

However, the U.S. abstained from this bold move, stressing tremendous risks and requirements for sophisticated and challenging logistical tasks.

Following the advance of Syrian Kurds into IS-controlled Tal Abyad town in Syria, Turkish local media reported that the government is seeking long-range artillery from the military to use against IS positions in Syrian territories during air and land operations into Syria, to secure a strip along the Turkish border.

Last week, daily Hurriyet quoted Turkish sources who said that the government wants to prevent Kurdish forces led by the Democratic Union Party (PYD) from taking full control of the Turkish-Syrian border, and to create a buffer zone against a new wave of refugees into Syria. Endit