Turkey Calls for Operations Against Raqqa After Mosul Liberation

Numan Kurtulmuş, Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister, stated on Monday that Ankara wants to begin operations against Raqqa, the main base of the Islamic State (ISIS), following the liberation of Mosul. According to Reuters, Kurtulmuş emphasized that Turkey's position regarding the Raqqa operation is clear. Militarily and strategically, it is better for this operation to start after the completion of the Mosul liberation and the 'Euphrates Shield' operation. Iraqi forces, along with the Peshmerga of the Kurdistan Region and Shiite militias, have been conducting the Mosul liberation operation in northern Iraq for over two weeks, supported by airstrikes from the US-led coalition. Ashton Carter, the US Secretary of Defense, mentioned last week the possibility of initiating the Raqqa operation during the Mosul operation. Peter Cook, a spokesperson for the US Department of Defense, also stated on Monday that continuing pressure on ISIS in Raqqa is very important. The spokesperson clarified that consultations with Turkish leadership regarding the best actions concerning Raqqa will continue. Cook added that pressure on ISIS must continue, and advances should be made to challenge the group in its self-proclaimed capital. According to Reuters, last week, the US military command in Iraq stated that action regarding Raqqa is essential, as the group might use Raqqa as a base to plan attacks against various regions worldwide. Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had also stated that in a phone conversation with US President Barack Obama, he informed him that Turkey-backed militia forces would continue their advances in northern Syria towards Raqqa. Turkey has been shelling the positions of Kurdish forces in Syria for months, and its direct intervention in northern Syria is seen not only as a measure against ISIS but also as attacks against Kurdish forces. A US Department of Defense official told the Washington Post that if these events do not stop, they may affect all plans for the liberation of Raqqa. Meanwhile, the 'Field Operations Command of Syrian Government Allies' recently warned that the advance of Turkish soldiers towards Syrian government positions and their allies in northern and eastern Aleppo would face a 'decisive and crushing' response from them. In this context, Turkey is 'strengthening' its military presence at the Iraqi border. Erdoğan's alignment with ISIS in opposition to the Sykes-Picot borders was noted, as he told Obama that the forces supported by Turkey are heading towards Raqqa.