ANKARA (Sputnik) — Ankara does not exclude the possibility of launching a ground operation in Iraq if it is necessary, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday.
"If the developments in Iraq threaten our security and stability, we will use all the rights to protect [the country], all the possibilities, including conducting of a ground operation. Its target could be the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) or Daesh," Cavusoglu told the Kanal 24 TV channel.
According to local media, about 30,000 Iraqi soldiers and 4,000 Kurdish Peshmerga fighters are taking part in the operation, backed by airstrikes carried out by the US-led international coalition. Turkey repeatedly said it wanted to take part in the operation, though Iraq raised objections.
