Turkey to send troops on ground in Syria only to target Assad regime

Ground troops can be used in the operation targeting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) as part of a comprehensive strategy also targeting the Bashar al-Assad regime, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has reportedly said.

Davutoğlu also reportedly said Turkey will join the coalition against ISIL “only with a no-fly zone and safe havens inside Syria.”

He added that if al-Assad stayed in power it would only help ISIL grow.

Meanwhile, when asked about U.S. Vice President Joe Biden’s recent remarks accusing Turkey of helping jihadist groups against al-Assad, Davutoğlu said Turkey “expects fairness and empathy.”

“The United States of America has a border with Mexico and there are two states on both sides,” Davutoğlu said.

“Is it easy to control the entire border? Some 1.6 million people came, you can imagine what types of risks and challenges we are facing,” the prime minister added.