Carter: We will continue to talk with Turkey about possible Raqqa role
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter has discussed Turkish participation in the upcoming operation to capture the Syrian city of Raqqa from ISIS.
“What we’re doing with Turkey right now, which is extremely important, and is worth mentioning is, we are working with Turkey in the region between Jarablus and the Mara Line, which helps secure the Turkish border there,” Carter told reporters on Wednesday, referring to Turkey’s ongoing Operation Euphrates Shield campaign against ISIS in Syria’s northwest border region.
“We’ll continue to talk with Turkey about its role in the eventual seizure of Raqqa,” Carter added, “but we’re proceeding now with the operation according to our plan, and we’re working with them in northern Syria.”
The Defense Secretary said that Turkey’s capture of the symbolically important town of Dabiq on October 16 should be praised since Dabiq was the town “after which ISIL (ISIS) had named its magazine.”
Carter hinted last month that the Raqqa operation could be launched before the conclusion of the Mosul operation, something with which Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtmulus disagrees.
“It is our opinion that it will be the correct thing to conduct [an operation in Raqqa] – both militarily and strategically – after the Mosul and Euphrates Shield operations end,” Kurtmulus said on Monday.
“What we’re doing with Turkey right now, which is extremely important, and is worth mentioning is, we are working with Turkey in the region between Jarablus and the Mara Line, which helps secure the Turkish border there,” Carter told reporters on Wednesday, referring to Turkey’s ongoing Operation Euphrates Shield campaign against ISIS in Syria’s northwest border region.
“We’ll continue to talk with Turkey about its role in the eventual seizure of Raqqa,” Carter added, “but we’re proceeding now with the operation according to our plan, and we’re working with them in northern Syria.”
The Defense Secretary said that Turkey’s capture of the symbolically important town of Dabiq on October 16 should be praised since Dabiq was the town “after which ISIL (ISIS) had named its magazine.”
Carter hinted last month that the Raqqa operation could be launched before the conclusion of the Mosul operation, something with which Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtmulus disagrees.
“It is our opinion that it will be the correct thing to conduct [an operation in Raqqa] – both militarily and strategically – after the Mosul and Euphrates Shield operations end,” Kurtmulus said on Monday.