Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday welcomed US-led air strikes against Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria, saying Ankara could provide military or logistical support for the campaign. "I look at it (the air strikes) in a positive way. It would be wrong if they stopped. This roadmap should be continued," he told Turkish reporters in New York in comments broadcast by Turkish television. Asked how Turkey would contribute to the operation, Erdogan said: "We will take whatever steps necessary to combat terrorism."
"This involves all kinds of support, including military and political. It involves political or logistic support," said Erdogan, who is in New York to attend the UN General Assembly. Turkey had been criticised for doing little to fight the rise of IS militants who have seized swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria dangerously close to its own borders.
However Ankara always said its priority was to ensure the security of 46 Turks held hostage by IS militants after being abducted from Mosul in Iraq. The hostages were freed over the weekend, leading to building expectations in Washington that Turkey could switch its stance and become a key ally in the campaign against the militants. Erdogan did not give details of the kind of military and logistical support Ankara could provide. He said: "There must be consensus on the need to fight terrorism in the region.
"We will have meetings with the government when I am back (from New York) and we will continue to provide support in accordance with our decision." Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said earlier that parliament on October 2 would consider extending the scope of two existing mandates allowing it to take military action in Syria and Iraq. "I hope it will not be necessary to use these mandates. But if necessary, Turkey will not hesitate in doing so," he said in Ankara.
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