Hagel, State Dept. Praise Turkish Vote to Allow Military Operations in Iraq, Syria
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US Senate(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. praised a Turkish vote to allow its military to join the coalition operating against ISIS in Iraq and Syria Thursday.
Calling the vote “a very positive development,” Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said that the U.S. “will continue to consult with the Turkish government on the specifics of how the implementation of that authority would be carried out.” Hagel, speaking at a joint news conference with his French counterpart Yves LeDrian, said that the U.S. does not currently plan on implementing a “buffer zone” that would give Syrian refugees a humanitarian area — something that has been discussed by Turkey.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki also praised the vote, noting “numerous high-level discussions with Turkish officials to discuss how to advance our cooperation in countering the threat posed by [ISIS] in Iraq and Syria.”
Gen. John Allen, recently named Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iraq and Iran Brett McGurk are in Iraq drumming up support for the coalition, and will travel to Turkey later on their current trip.
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