Turkey vows to fight Islamic State

May allow foreign forces to use its territory for cross-border incursions

In the screen shot a British Brimstone missile (circled) is seen striking an Islamic State armed pick-up truck in Iraq.

Turkey signalled it may send troops into Syria or Iraq and let allies use Turkish bases to fight Islamic State (IS), as coalition jets launched air strikes on Wednesday on insurgents besieging a town on its southern border with Syria.

The government sent a proposal to Parliament late on Tuesday which would broaden existing powers and allow Ankara to order military action to “defeat attacks directed towards our country from all terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria”.

The proposal would also mean Turkey, until now reluctant to take a frontline role against IS, could allow foreign forces to use its territory for cross-border incursions.

But President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the removal of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad remained a Turkish priority and stressed Ankara’s fears that U.S.-led air strikes without a broader political strategy would only prolong the instability.

Turkey accuses Mr. Assad of stoking the growth of IS through sectarian policies.

“We will fight effectively against both [Islamic State] and all other terrorist organisations within the region; this will always be our priority,” he told the opening of Parliament, but added: “Tons of bombs dropped from the air will only delay the threat and danger.”