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‘Turkey only NATO member that fights Daesh/ISIS on front line’

29 June 2021 00:22 (UTC +04:00)

Turkey is the only NATO member fighting the Daesh/ISIS terrorist organization on the front line, the Turkish foreign minister said Monday, APA reports quoting Anadolu Agency.

Turkey has been "an active member of the Coalition Against Daesh since the beginning" and "the only NATO member fighting against Daesh on the front," Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

"Despite its withdrawal, Daesh is still a threat,” Cavusoglu told Italian daily Il Messaggero in Rome before attending the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh, also known as ISIS.

The Turkish foreign minister said Ankara neutralized over 4,500 Daesh/ISIS terrorists and prevented financial aid that could go to the terrorist organization.

He said that some methods used when fighting against Daesh/ISIS had some mistakes, referring to the US aid to the YPG/PKK terror group in Syria.

"The fight against a terrorist group should not be handed over to another terrorist group. The PKK/YPG and the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are extensions of the PKK in Syria. The PKK/YPG needs Daesh to maintain its own importance and is taking advantage of Daesh's presence,” said Cavusoglu.

He noted that contrary to what has been said so far, the Daesh/ISIS threat is taking deeper roots in Syria, and added that the PKK/YPG terror group is releasing Daesh/ISIS terrorists from the camps under its control in exchange for financial gain.

“A real strategy, it must address deep causes, ensure an effective intelligence sharing, and initiate genuine partnerships with legitimate actors. The ministerial meeting, held in Rome, will provide an opportunity to evaluate our fight against terrorists and discuss the course to be followed,” he added.

Cavusoglu said a stable and prosperous Syria is in the interest of Turkey, as a neighbor.

“The current instability creates a favorable environment for terrorist groups. They pose a threat to Syria's security, as well as to the security of the region and beyond.”