Turkey for joint Syria ground operation

A Turkish official says his country is pushing the case for ground operations in Syria, hoping for involvement of the US and other allies in an international coalition against Daesh, the AP reported.

The official told reporters in Istanbul that "without ground operations it is impossible to stop the fighting in Syria" and that Turkey has pressed the issue in recent discussions with the US and other Western nations.

But he ruled out the possibility of Turkey undertaking unilateral action or the prospect of a joint Saudi-Turkish venture without broader consensus in the anti-Daesh coalition. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorised to speak publicly on the issue.

A Nato member and a key ally in the fight against Daesh, Turkey has opened up its air bases to the US and other members of the coalition.

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