Turkey asks US-Coalition for help in al-Bab

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Help from the United States-led Coalition against the Islamic State (IS) was needed to support Turkey in its incursion into northern Syria, said a top Turkish official on Monday.

The call for Coalition aid came from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin who was speaking to reporters at an Ankara press conference.

“The International Coalition should shoulder its responsibility in [providing] aerial support,” said Kalin in an apparent rebuke to the US.

“It is unacceptable that some circles who criticize Turkey are not giving the necessary support to ongoing operations around al-Bab,” he added.

Just 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of the Turkish border, the IS-held town of al-Bab in northern Aleppo for weeks now had been under assault by Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) militias.

Last week saw the killing of at least 16 Turkish soldiers in IS counter attacks, and 88 civilians as a result of Turkish airstrikes in al-Bab.

The US had been at odds with Turkey regarding the nature of the latter’s August-commenced Syria incursion dubbed Operation Euphrates Shield against IS because it also targets the US ally Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).

Turkey had long demanded from the US to commit to “its promise” of pulling Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from the town of Manbij to the east of the River Euphrates.

Turkey has been eyeing Manbij for months, as Erdogan once again vowed on Sunday to capture it.

The Turkish President also added his army could go as far south as the de facto IS capital of Raqqa if the incoming US administration agreed.

Earlier, Turkish airstrikes on Kurdish forces also vying for control of al-Bab led to the US urging focus on the fight against IS.

State Department and Pentagon officials called Turkey’s action against the Kurds “uncoordinated activity" counterproductive to defeating IS.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany