Kerry Says Turkey to be 'on Frontlines' of Anti-IS Fight

Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that Turkey had pledged to take part in the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic militants following the release of 49 Turkish hostages.

"Turkey is very much part of this coalition, and Turkey will be very engaged on the frontlines of this effort," Kerry told a global counter-terrorism forum after meeting with Turkish officials.

“Clearly Turkey had an initial challenge with respect to its hostages and that being resolved now Turkey is ready to conduct additional efforts along with the rest of us in order to guarantee success.”

The forum, set up several years ago, aims to stem the spread of terror groups by cutting off funding, stemming the flow of foreign fighters and tacking the causes of violent extremism at its roots.

Speaking shortly after the United States and its Arab allies carried out air strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria, Kerry said the New York talks could not be happening at a more important time.

"Every single country here today is a critical part of an effort to address a global terrorist threat that is more diverse than ever before," Kerry said.

The threat of the group had "resonance for every country in the room" and was "an organization that knows no bounds."

The IS militants were "cold-blooded killers masquerading as a religious movement" which had been "fed by illicit funding and a stream of foreign fighters that have regrettably come from many of the countries around this table, mine included," Kerry said.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said it was estimated that around 160 Australians were fighting alongside the IS militants which have seized a swathe of territory in Iraq and Syria.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said his country had deported more than a foreign fighters from almost 75 countries as it battles to halt the flow of extremists into Syria.

Ankara had also drawn up a watch-list with about 6,000 names on it.

He pledged his country's commitment to battling terrorism, but did not explicitly give details about any plans to join the U.S.-led coalition.

Ankara has been accused by some analysts of helping to fuel the rise of IS jihadists with its support of Islamist rebels fighting Assad, but has vehemently denied backing their brutal campaign.

The jihadists now control swathes of Iraq and northern Syria and are now pushing on Kurdish-dominated areas in Syria, prompting a huge influx of refugees into Turkey.

A group of 46 Turks, including Turkey's consul, children and special forces soldiers who were abducted by IS jihadists from Turkey's consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in June, returned home Saturday after more than three months in captivity.

Later on Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the U.S.-led air strikes against the IS in Syria, saying Ankara could provide military or logistical support for the campaign.

"I look at it (the air strikes) in a positive way. It would be wrong if they stopped. This roadmap should be continued," he told Turkish reporters in New York in comments broadcast by Turkish television. 

Asked how Turkey would contribute to the operation, Erdogan said: "We will take whatever steps necessary to combat terrorism."

"This involves all kinds of support, including military and political. It involves political or logistic support," said Erdogan, who is in New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly.

Turkey had been criticized for doing little to fight the rise of IS militants who have seized swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria dangerously close to its own borders.

However Ankara always said its priority was to ensure the security of 46 Turks held hostage by IS militants after being abducted from Mosul in Iraq.

The hostages were freed over the weekend, leading to building expectations in Washington that Turkey could switch its stance and become a key ally in the campaign against the militants.

Erdogan did not give details of the kind of military and logistical support Ankara could provide.

He said: "There must be consensus on the need to fight terrorism in the region.

"We will have meetings with the government when I am back (from New York) and we will continue to provide support in accordance with our decision."

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said earlier that parliament on October 2 would consider extending the scope of two existing mandates allowing it to take military action in Syria and Iraq.

"I hope it will not be necessary to use these mandates. But if necessary, Turkey will not hesitate in doing so," he said in Ankara.