WARSAW (Sputnik) — Earlier, it was reported that NATO considers to send planes equipped with airborne warning and control systems (AWACS) to back the US-led coalition in Syria.
"We have airplanes flying over Turkey… and we are working closely with Turkey [on] how to expand our assurance missions in Turkey…. When NATO now is stepping up our efforts… that is also important for Turkey because Turkey is bordering both Syria and Iraq and everything we do to fight ISIL [Daesh] will also be of great benefit for Tukrey," Stoltenberg told reporters at the NATO summit in Warsaw.
"The focus is training, capacity building, development and strengthening of security institutions, that's the main focus of our activity. Equipment is not on the agenda for now, it may that it will be an issue later on."
The alliance has already been training Iraqi army officers in Jordan, but is set to move the training operations into Iraq itself at the request of the country's prime minister, Haider Abadi, he added, noting a team will be sent to Baghdad to make preparations, while a number of NATO members have already offered trainers.
NATO summit is taking place in the Polish capital on July 8-9.
