Turkish Parliament Renews Mandate for Military Operations in Syria, Iraq
ANKARA (AP) -4 Sept 2015 – – Turkey’s parliament has voted to renew by another year a mandate allowing the military to conduct operations in Syria and Iraq.
In a show of hands, legislators voted on Thursday in favor of the motion to extend the permit. The current mandate — which served as a legal basis for recent Turkish strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria and Kurdish rebel targets in Iraq — runs out in October. The mandate also allows the government to authorize foreign troops to be based on Turkish soil. Turkey has taken a larger role in the fight against Islamic State militants recently, joining an airstrike campaign and allowing the use of an air base for U.S. fighter jet and drone missions.