Istanbul – Turkish Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, on Tuesday in Istanbul suggested that the international coalition should deploy ground troops to fight against the Islamic State group in Syria.
He also insisted that President Bashar al-Assad must be removed from power.
Davutolgu said the international coalition and all others that are interested in the welfare of Syria should come together and talk about the ground force.
The prime minister added that there is urgent need for integrated strategy including air campaign and ground troops, because Turkey alone cannot take the entire burden.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
He warned that without a strategy, defeating Islamic State could lead to a vacuum in northern Syria which would be filled by another militant group.
“The question is not how and how long Assad will stay, the question is when and how Assad will go.
Turkey has long been a supporter of Syrian rebels, including hard-line Islamic groups, fighting al-Assad.
The government is demanding the formation of a buffer space in northern Syria, in part to place refugees in the zone.
Turkey is expected to host the G20 summit this weekend. (dpa/NAN)