Erdoğan holds security summit with ISIL topping the agenda

ANKARA

President Erdoğan (L) chairs a security meeting with Prime Minister Davutoğlu, Chief of General Staff General Özel (2nd L), Interior Minister Efkan Ala (2nd R), Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu and Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz. AA photo

The Turkish government is pondering its potential contribution to the global fight against jihadists in Iraq and Syria amid U.S. efforts to find international support for a coalition against the group.

A security summit was held Sept. 17 in the Turkish capital Ankara under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, with the participation of PM Ahmet Davutoğlu, Chief of Staff Gen. Necdet Özel, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Interior Minister Efkan Ala and Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz.

International efforts to destroy the growing threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) was the hot topic on the agenda of the gathering, which was held as the U.S. and its allies shape a broad strategy in the fight against ISIL, amid expectations that Turkey will become involved in these efforts.

Turkey has pledged to increase its border security to stop the infiltration of foreign fighters into Syria and Iraq to join ISIL, deepen intelligence cooperation and sharing with Western countries, assist the coalition by easing logistic transportation and continue effective humanitarian assistance to those in need – especially in northern Iraq.