Turkey’s refugee and ISIL responses above and beyond, US says

WASHINGTON - Anadolu Agency

DHA photo

Turkey’s response to the nearly 2 million refugees who have crossed its border from Syria and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) extremists is “above and beyond,” the U.S. State Department has said.

“Turkey, in terms of combating ISIL and dealing with the inflow of Syria refugees, has been above and beyond what we might expect,” spokesman Mark Toner told reporters, adding Turkey was “doing all it can” to combat ISIL.

The Turkish Air Force launched attacks late on Aug. 29 on ISIL positions considered a threat to Turkey - the first such airstrikes as part of the U.S.-led anti-ISIL coalition.

Regarding Ankara’s ongoing campaign against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Toner said, “All of Turkey’s strikes against PKK targets have been in response to PKK attacks on Turkish military personnel and police.”

“We want to see the PKK stop its attacks. We want to see both sides refrain from violence and we want to see a return to a solution process that ultimately ends in peace,” he added.

Military operations against the PKK - listed as a terrorist group by Turkey, the EU and the U.S. - came after the group renewed attacks commencing in July.