Turkey Considers Ground Operation in Iraq Against Daesh or PKK

Ankara does not rule out the possibility to launch a ground operation in Iraq if developments there pose a threat to Turkey, the country's foreign minister said.

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.

On October 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi announced the start of a military operation to retake Mosul from Daesh, a jihadist group outlawed in Russia and a number of other states.

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.