Turkey calls on US to join in ground offensive in Syria to defeat Isis and end civil war
'Without a ground operation, it is impossible to stop this war'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Turkey has called on the US and other members of the international coalition in Syria to join in a ground offensive and "stop this war".
Speaking amid speculation that Turkey was preparing troops to enter Syria from the north over the weekend, Ankara said it refused to take action on its own.
But an official briefing reporters in Istanbul said "we want a ground operation", adding that "if there is a consensus, Turkey will take part".
"Turkey is not going to have a unilateral ground operation. We are asking coalition partners that there should be a ground operation. We are discussing this with allies.
"Without a ground operation, it is impossible to stop this war," he added.
Saudi Arabia said on Monday that it too was "very serious" about sending ground troops into Syria to remove President Bashar al-Assad.
The Saudi foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, said the country was waiting to see if a ceasefire brokered by the US and Russia would prove successful.
If not, he said, Saudi Arabia was keen to commit troops as part of an incursion by the US-led coalition. "The timing is not up to us," he added.
Additional reporting by Reuters
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments