Ankara, coalition agree Turkish jets to join Mosul operation: minister

Ankara, 19 October 2016 (MIA) - Turkish jets will continue to take part in the air operation backing Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga to retake Iraq’s second city of Mosul from jihadists after the defence minister said late Tuesday Ankara had agreed a deal with its coalition partners, AFP reports.

“We have agreed with coalition forces for our air forces to take part in the Mosul operation,” Fikri Isik was quoted as saying by the official Anadolu agency.

“Without Turkey, it is impossible to make decisions on the future of Mosul,” he added during a visit to Rome.

His comments were further clarification of Turkey’s future involvement after Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said earlier in the day that the country’s jets joined in the air operation to recapture the city from the Islamic State group.

“Our air forces took part in the coalition forces’ air operations in Mosul,” Yildirim told his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) parliamentary group in Ankara.

Yildirim, who admitted he did not know “the operational details”, told reporters afterwards there was agreement “in principle” to be part of the coalition.

The long-awaited offensive began Monday with air and ground support from a US-led coalition. Yildirim said Turkey was “closely-watching” what was happening but did not give details on the nature of the Turkish air support.

Mosul was captured by IS jihadists in June 2014. But ahead of the offensive, Turkey and Iraq were entangled in a war of words over Turkey’s presence in northern Iraq.

Yildirim repeated President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s comments from Monday that Turkey would be involved in the operation and will be “at the table”.

While insisting it cannot be left out of the operation, Turkey has often spoken of its fears over the potential involvement of Shiite militias and anti-Ankara Kurdish militia in the fight for mainly Sunni Mosul.