NATO chief: Turkey pivotal in anti-Daesh effort

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg (AA Photo)

Washington (IINA) – NATO’s top official said Wednesday that Turkey’s assistance has been critical to the anti-Daesh effort, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
“Turkey participates in the coalition fighting ISIL. Turkey provides military assets, but in addition Turkey provides infrastructure – bases, the Incirlik base, and other facilities for the efforts of the coalition fighting ISIL,” Jens Stoltenberg said during public remarks at the Washington-based Atlantic Council think tank.
“Without Turkey it would have been much more difficult to, for instance, conduct many of the airstrikes and so on fighting ISIL,” he added.
Crucially, Turkey is the NATO ally “most affected” by an influx of refugees prompted by conflicts in neighboring Iraq and Syria, Stoltenberg said.
"We are also responding to the conflict in Syria by supporting Turkey - bordering Syria and Iraq, we have assurance measures, NATO presence in Turkey," he said.
Around 2.7 million Syrians who have fled the country’s ongoing conflict are being sheltered in Turkey.
AB/IINA

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