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Turkey mulls extending operations in Syria and Iraq

Xinhua, September 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Turkish government submitted Tuesday a motion to the parliament for extending the mandate authorizing the Turkish Armed Forces to take military action in Syria and Iraq, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

The proposal seeks one more year authorization for the government to carry out cross-border military operations against "terrorist threats" and allows deployment of foreign troops on Turkish territory, the report said.

The motion provides necessary legality for Turkey's contribution to the international coalition's efforts to degrade and defeat the Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist organizations in Syria and Iraq.

It also allows transit of foreign troops through Turkish territory in operations against the IS.

Signed by Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, the motion gives Turkish army permission to conduct cross-border operations against members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Syria and Iraq.

The current mandate will expire on Oct. 2, therefore parliament is expected to convene and vote for the new government motion, which offers a one-year extension to the current mandate, said Daily Sabah.

The Turkish government merged two separate motions on Syria and Iraq into one in 2014, saying the threats and risks posed by terrorist organizations were using both countries' territories.

"Developments in neighboring regions of Turkey's southern land borders, as well as threats and risks arising from ongoing clashes have increased both quantitatively and qualitatively," the motion said.

Turkish parliament will debate the proposal on Oct. 1 and it would take effect on Oct. 2 once approved.

The motion is likely to be adopted by support of the ruling Justice and Development Party and the Nationalist Movement Party deputies. The Republican People's Party and the Peoples' Democratic Party earlier voted against the mandate.

The Turkish military has entered Jarablus of Syria on Aug. 24 as part of the Euphrates Shield Operation to back Syrian rebels to sweep the IS militants.

The Turkish army also targeted Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militants in northern Syria by artillery fires.

Turkish government claims the Democratic Union Party and its military wing YPG enjoy close connections with the PKK, including militant and ammunition support. Endit