ISIL militants got hold of sophisticated US guns: Turkish PM

ISTANBUL

'The most sophisticated guns that the U.S. left in Iraq were totally, entirely possessed by the ISIL,' says Turkish PM Davutoğlu. AA photo

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants have gotten hold of most sophisticated guns left in Iraq by the United States, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has said. 

“The most sophisticated guns that the U.S. left in Iraq were totally, entirely possessed by the ISIL,” he said during a televised interview Sept. 12. 

Radicalization is a great threat against the world, the prime minister said, adding that the sectarian clashes in Syria were a result of the fact that a 12 percent minority in the country bid to rule the nation.

“Those who feel alienated tend to become radicals,” he said as he highlighted that Turkey would not want any radicalization or terror bodies touching its borders. 

Davutoğlu also opposed an idea to back Bashar al-Assad, arguing that such a move would direct the moderate opposition in the country toward him. 

“The Middle Eastern people should not be forced to a choice between the two bad options,” he said.