Turkey

Turkey’s national security council says steps to be taken immediately to defeat threats from Syria

Turkey's national security council said steps should be taken "immediately and resolutely" to defeat threats against the country from western Syria

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Three killed after Turkish military plane crashes in Isparta

Three people were killed when a Turkish military plane crashed in the southern Isparta province, the army said.

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UK “not involved” in Syrian Border Security Force

Updated January 16 The United Kingdom is not involved in the new Syrian Border Security Force set up by the U.S.-led Coalition against Islamic State and the Syrian Democratic Forces, a foreign ministry spokesperson said. “We are not involved in this particular line of Coalition effort. We remain clear that liberated areas must have long-term, legitimate and inclusive local governance and security structures,” a U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson told The Defense Post on Tuesday, January 16. On Saturday, CJTF-OIR Public Affairs Officer Colonel Thomas F. Veale told The Defense Post that the Coalition and SDF were working jointly to train the 30,000-strong Syrian border security force. The BSF will be partly composed of veteran fighters and operate under the leadership of the SDF, the backbone of which is made of the People’s Protection Units (YPG). Turkey’s foreign ministry on Sunday said Turkey was not consulted on the establishment of the Border Security Forcce and that Turkey does not know which Coalition members approved the decision. “To attribute such a unilateral step to the whole Coalition is an extremely wrong move that could harm the fight against Daesh,” the ministry said. A spokesperson for the Coalition told The Defense Post that “Turkey is a …

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Erdogan: Turkey will ‘kill’ Syrian border security force

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the U.S.-led Coalition decision to form a Syrian border security force under the leadership of the SDF, and vowed to squash the new force.

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Turkey slams “unacceptable” Coalition plan to build Syrian Border Security Force

Turkish presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin heavily criticised the United States and the Coalition, saying that the Syrian Border Security Force is "legitimizing the PKK."

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Coalition retraining 15,000 veteran SDF fighters to serve as Syrian border force

The US-led Coalition against ISIS and Syrian Democratic Forces are training a 30,000-strong Syrian border security force made of Kurds and Arabs

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Syria: Erdogan warns of Turkey military operation in Efrin and Manbij ‘in about a week’

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan strongly signalled an imminent military operation against Manbij and Efrin in northern Syria

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Greece intercepts Libya-bound ship carrying explosives from Turkey

The Greek Coast Guard seized a Tanzania-flagged freighter carrying explosive materials from Turkey to Libya's Misurata.

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Turkey warns Iran and Russia over Idlib as Syria tensions mount ahead of Sochi and Geneva talks

Turkey warned Iran and Russia to hold back the Syrian regime in rebel-held Idlib province, as tensions mounted ahead of peace talks in Sochi

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Captured French militant claims ISIS fighters in Syria aim to reach Europe through Turkey

Captured French foreign fighter Thomas Barnouin told the YPG that ISIS is trying to reach Europe through Turkey to carry out attacks

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