President, PM hold surprise midnight meeting

ANKARA

Davutoğlu (L) and Erdoğan held a midnight tete-a-tete. AA Photo

Turkey’s president and prime minister held an unannounced midnight meeting Sept. 30, on the eve of the critical decisions the country will make regarding the fight against extremist jihadists in Iraq and Syria.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu visited President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after his return from Istanbul, where he attended the World Economic Forum (WEF) meetings.

The meeting between the two leaders was the first since President Erdoğan concluded his week-long trip to New York, where he held key meetings with United States President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

Turkey has not yet made its position clear on its contribution to the U.S.-led coalition to fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

No statement was made following the 40-minute-long meeting. The media reported the two leaders discussed the contents of motions to be introduced to Parliament authorizing the Turkish army to conduct cross-border operations into Iraq and Syria.

The motions are expected to be sent to Parliament following the Cabinet meeting slated for Sept. 30, in which Chief of General Staff General Necdet Özel will brief Cabinet members about the conditions of security along the Syrian border and the army’s level of preparedness to challenge threats posed by ISIL.