NATO welcomes US-Turkey's 'closer cooperation' in Syria

TBILISI, Georgia (AA) - NATO chief welcomed on Thursday closer cooperation between its key partners U.S. and Turkey in the fight against Daesh in Syria.

Speaking at the National Parliamentary Library Tbilisi in Georgia, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said: “I welcome closer cooperation between the different countries in the coalition fighting ISIL [Daesh] and especially between U.S and Turkey because they are key in the fight against ISIL to NATO allies.

“And I think it is of great importance that they work closer together in the fighting against ISIL, also of course in Syria.”

He underlined that NATO would continue to fight against all terrorist organizations and any threat against its allied countries.

He also said NATO had increased its presence in Turkey to increase its capability to protect itself against different kind of attacks.

Stoltenberg added the ongoing turmoil in Syria had affected Turkey.

“Turkey, a NATO ally, is perhaps most affected by the turmoil, the violence and presence of ISIL in Iraq and Syria,” two countries which lie on Turkey’s borders, he added.

On Aug. 24, Operation Euphrates Shield was launched, which aims at improving security, supporting coalition forces and eliminating the terror threat along Turkey’s border using Free Syrian Army fighters backed by Turkish armor, artillery and jets.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the regime of Bashar al-Assad cracked down on pro-democracy protests.