Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey’s Foreign Minister, told reporters that military campaigns against the Daesh strongholds of Raqqa and Mosul, are ‘vital’ in order to bring down the extremist group.
Speaking on Wednesday after a meeting of High Negotiations Committee in London, Cavusoglu said,
If we want to cleanse Syria and Iraq of Daesh, it was important that we mount operations both in Mosul and in Raqqa. We have always said that if we do not support local forces on the ground, if there is no land operation, it will not be possible to eliminate or even stop Daesh exclusively from the air
He also underscored Turkey’s opposition to the current Syrian government, led by Bashar al-Assad,
To accept Assad means the continuation of conflict and chaos. That is why we cannot remain stuck upon one person and we must instead discuss Syria’s future. The vision outlined by the opposition covers this entirely
The Minister also stressed the need for allied support for such a campaign, though he did not direct his comments to any particular country.
Earlier today the President Erdogan also spoke about Raqqa, suggesting that the US was ready to join Turkey in an invasion, though the State Department obfuscated in response.