FM says Turkey’s ground operation into Syria ‘not realistic’

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey's Foreign Minister says it cannot be expected to lead a ground operation against Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria on its own, according to BBC News.

Mevlut Cavusoglu also called for the creation of a no-fly zone over its border with Syria after talks in Ankara with new NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.

Turkey is under intense pressure to do more to help Kurdish forces fighting IS in the strategic Syrian town of Kobani.

Activists say IS now controls about a third of Kobani after fierce fighting. Monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, quoting "reliable sources", said IS was advancing towards the center of the town from eastern districts.

Earlier, a Kurdish leader in Kobani said IS had entered two more districts overnight, bringing in heavy weapons.

Turkey has stationed tanks along its border overlooking Kobani, but has made no move to intervene.

Cavusoglu was holding talks with Stoltenberg and U.S. envoys on possible Turkish action against IS.

"It is not realistic to expect Turkey to conduct a ground operation on its own," he told a news conference. "We are holding talks. Once there is a common decision, Turkey will not hold back from playing its part."

Turkey - a NATO member - wants the creation of a border zone or safe haven enforced by a no-fly zone along the Syrian side of its border to stop militants moving across and to ease the influx of refugees into Turkey.

France supports the idea but the White House has said it is "not something that is under consideration right now".

Stoltenberg, speaking in Ankara, said the setting up of a no-fly zone or buffer zone inside Syria has not been discussed by NATO. But he added: "It's important to stand in solidarity. NATO stands ready to support all allies in facing threats."

The U.S. Central Command said late on Wednesday that eight coalition air strikes had hit targets in Kobani. It said five IS armed vehicles, an IS supply depot and other buildings had been destroyed.

But Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm John Kirby warned that "air strikes alone are not going to save the town of Kobani. We know that and we've been saying that over and over again".

He said that ultimately rebel fighters in Syria and Iraqi troops would have to defeat IS militants, but it would take time. "We don't have a willing, capable, effective partner on the ground inside Syria right now," he said, warning that other towns could also fall to IS.

Similar views were expressed by British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond. "I don't want to suggest that there is anything readily that the coalition can do that will make a fundamental difference... in the tactical situation that's faced around Kobani," he said.