“The creation of a no-fly zone [along the border with Syria] is not currently on the agenda and is not being utilized. There is a task of cleansing the territory of 400 square kilometers of ISIL militants. We call this operation of cleansing the territory of terrorists and are not creating any type of special zone,” Yardim told RIA Novosti in an interview.
The ambassador said that it was premature to begin such an operation, but if it needs to be done, then “it would be done with those countries who are members of the coalition that Turkey gives its approval.”
Ankara reportedly agreed with the United States to create an “IS-free safe zone” for refugees in areas of northern Syria.
On Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO is not participating in the creation of the buffer zone.
IS is a violent extremist religious group that has captured large areas in Iraq and Syria in 2014 and has committed many human rights atrocities. An international coalition of more than 60 countries are conducting airstrikes against IS positions in both countries.