Deputy PM: Involvement in military action doesn’t mean hitting ISIS targets


Deputy Prime Minister Yalçın Akdoğan, making clear the definition of 'joining military action' has said being involved in military operation does not necessarily mean sending troops to fight against ISIS or hitting its targets.Akdoğan, came together with journalists early on Monday during a breakfast held at the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), clarifying the issue of whether Turkey, both a US ally and NATO member, would consider armed engagement in the fight against the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). Akdoğan criticized the foreign community's pushy approach in Turkey's participation in the coalition with a military support. He stated that there are various ways of contributing to the coalition in the struggle's military stretch. "Giving military support should be set apart from carrying out an armed fight. Theoretically speaking, you can be involved in a military operation without sending troops to fight with ISIS or hitting its targets, such as by providing intelligence and logistical support. How this could be, or to what extent it should be, will be clear only after careful assessments are made."Confusion mounted over whether Turkey will expand cooperation in combatting with ISIS as the return of the 49 hostages held by ISIS prompted the international community to call for a military support from Turkey.Forty-six Turkish citizens - diplomats, consular officials and their families - and three Iraqi citizens working for the Turkish Consulate in Mosul were kidnapped on June 11, a day after ISIS took control of the city. Turkey refused to join military action against ISIS, out of a fear that the hostages held by ISIS might be hurt. The justified worries the country had over the issue was replaced by feeling of discontent over the pressure by international community as the crisis of the hostages was settled with their release on Saturday.Davutoğlu was the first to react to western media organs' manipulating the country in forming a strategy against ISIS, saying Turkey's approach towards participating in international military action against ISIS will be shaped after every detail regarding the country is calculated. He said "Turkey can make its own decisions," disregarding pressure from the international community.Underlining that Turkey's stance had been stable since the government designated ISIS as a terrorist organization, Akdoğan, on Wednesday's session, further stated it was Turkey that was seeking solidarity in struggle against ISIS from the beginning. "A widened cooperation is being asked from Turkey, which for sure will be enabled. But the decision to figure out the means to the end requires a detailed discussion." Akdoğan added.Dismissing the allegations that Turkey is supportive of ISIS as cheap manipulations, he said, there is no 'haziness' in country's position towards ISIS and signaled that Turkey won't be subject to any kind of manipulation.