WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States would like to see Turkey join air and ground operations against Daesh, also known as ISIL/the Islamic State, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said in briefing on Tuesday.
“We want Turkish forces to join in the air and the ground and as appropriate,” Carter said. “And also, very importantly, the single most important contribution that their geography makes necessary is the control of their own border.”
The US defense secretary made the comment en route to the Turkish Incirlik airbase, which the United States uses to fly manned and unmanned aircraft to strike Daesh targets.
Since 2014, a US-led international coalition of some 60 states has been carrying out a campaign in Syria and Iraq against Daesh, designated as a terrorist organization by numerous countries, including Russia.
Ankara has recently been criticized by some US-led coalition members for its poor control of the 61-mile border it shares with Daesh-held territories in Syria.
