Turkey: Mosul, Raqqa operations ‘vital’ against Daesh

By Azernews

By Gunay Hasanova

Operations in Mosul and Raqqa are vitally important if Iraq and Syria are to be cleansed of Daesh, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was quoted as saying by Anadolu Agency.

Following a meeting in London with the High Negotiations Committee, which represents Syrian opposition groups, Cavusoglu told Turkish media that firm plans had been laid out for a political transition in Syria.

“What is important is that these plans can be implemented,” he said, adding that they required the support of all parties in the Syrian conflict.

Cavusoglu said it was clearly not possible for opposition groups to support the continued leadership of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

“To accept Assad means the continuation of conflict and chaos. That is why we cannot remain stuck upon one person and we must instead discuss Syria’s future. The vision outlined by the opposition covers this entirely,” he said.

“I think it is realistic, but countries that support Assad must see this too.”

In response to reports that Turkey was planning a joint operation with the United States against Daesh in Raqqa, the group’s self-declared capital, Cavusoglu said it was important for the Syrian city to be liberated.

“If we want to cleanse Syria and Iraq of Daesh, it was important that we mount operations both in Mosul and in Raqqa. We have always said that if we do not support local forces on the ground, if there is no land operation, it will not be possible to eliminate or even stop Daesh exclusively from the air,” he said.

He also praised U.K. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson for his role in hosting the Syrian High Negotiations Committee meeting.

On August 24 morning, the Turkish Air Force with the support of the U.S.-led coalition launched an operation in Syria's northern border city of Jarabulus to clear the area from the Daesh terror organization.

The operation was carried out under the name “Shield of the Euphrates.”

Jarabulus is located 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Turkish-Syrian border.

Previously, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that this operation will continue until the PYD militants are completely liquidated.

Syria has been suffering from an armed conflict since March 2011, which, according to the UN, has so far claimed over 500,000 lives.

 Militants from various armed groups are confronting the Syrian government troops. The “Islamic State” (IS, ISIL, ISIS or Daesh), the YPG and the PYD are the most active terrorist groups in Syria.