The Republic of Türkiye plays a major role in the Global Coalition: through hosting Coalition assets in its bases, participating in air operations and targeting terrorist elements in Syria; diminishing the financing and recruiting capabilities of Daesh; and delivering aid and providing shelter for approximately 3,5 million Syrians under temporary protection. As co-chair of the Coalition’s Foreign Terrorist Fighters Working Group, Turkey also actively supports and leads international initiatives in this field.
From the Global Coalition’s inception, Türkiye has played a full role in the Coalition’s military efforts to deny DAESH safe haven and to build the capacity of those leading the fight against DAESH. Turkey has:
• Participated in all joint planning efforts for counter-DAESH operations in northern Syria; took all necessary steps to realize and implement those plans.
• Allowed its airspace to be used by Coalition aircraft for both combat and non-combat roles, including intelligence gathering and personnel recovery;
• Opened its facilities to the US and other Coalition partners, allowing over 60 aircraft with over 1„200 personnel to be deployed in counter-DAESH operations in Syria and Iraq;
• Hosted the “Train and Equip” programme;
• From January to August 2016, hit DAESH targets through air, artillery and other military assets, as part of Coalition operations and neutralized over 1,200 DAESH elements;
• Executed “Operation Euphrates Shield” (OES) by putting its own troops on the ground and in cooperation with the Free Syrian Army and, having eliminated 2,647 DAESH members established a safe haven free of terror by clearing an area of 2,015 square kilometers from DAESH
• Eliminated 717 DAESH elements in Iraq.
• Trained 7,000 Iraqi security personnel, composed of professionals and volunteers, for the fight against DAESH.
The Turkish Armed Forces is the only NATO and Coalition Army to have fought hand-to-hand, on the ground against DAESH. Türkiye also denied entry to over 100.000 Foreign Terrorist Fighters, while deporting 9.500 terrorists back to their country of origin as they were trying to enter Syria over the Turkish border.
“Our goal is clear: Eradication of all terrorist elements including foreign terrorist fighters and establishing a security and stability belt around us.”
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Türkiye
