FRANKFURT, Germany
Turkey has been giving logistical and intelligence support to the Iraqi government in Baghdad in its operations against Daesh, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Thursday.
Cavusoglu made the remarks to the media after his meeting with Turkish non-governmental organizations in the German city of Frankfurt.
"We supply them with any kind of equipment. Also, we give them logistical support and share intelligence with them," he said.
The Iraqi army and Kurdish forces in cooperation with local Shia and Sunni militias plan to initiate a major offensive against Daesh in the coming weeks to retake control of Iraq’s second-largest city, Mosul.
Cavusoglu added that the battle against Daesh should not only be in Iraq, but in Syria as well.
The minister also recalled Turkey's efforts against the terrorist group.
On Feb. 19, Turkey and the U.S. inked a deal to train-and-equip Syrian opposition forces that aims to achieve an actual political transformation in the war-torn country on the basis of the Geneva Communique. The Syrian fighters trained in the joint program are expected to fight both Daesh and the Assad regime.
The foreign minister also said there "should not be" a new Sunni - Shia conflict in Iraq.
"The reason Daesh gained so much power was discrimination, sectarian violence and alienating parts of the public," Cavusoglu said. "Without allowing any new conflicts between the people; Turkmen, Kurds, Arabs and all the other ethnical groups should fight against Daesh," he added.
Iraq witnessed one of its worst sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shias in 2006 and 2007. Iraq has plunged into a security vacuum since June 2014, when Daesh stormed the northern province of Mosul and declared what it called a caliphate in Iraq and Syria.
Daesh massacres and the massive displacement of local people led to the creation of an international coalition against the terror group. The U.S.-led coalition is staging airstrikes against Daesh targets in Iraq and Syria since mid-September 2014.
Iraqi security forces backed by Shia militias launched a ground offensive against Daesh Monday to recapture the city of Tikrit, aiming to approach the militant group’s stronghold of Mosul. Tikrit, a Sunni-majority city, was the homeland of the deceased Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
Daesh is the Arabic acronym for Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorist group.
Cavusoglu slams Austria's Islam law
Regarding the recently approved controversial bill that redefines the status of Muslims in Austria, Cavusoglu said the law was not compatible with present-day realities.
Cavusoglu said that there were two elements that threatened Europe. One was terrorism, including foreign fighters. The second one was racism and xenophobia.
"Both are dangerous, which feed off each other. We must be really strong in struggling with them," he added.
The Austrian parliament voted by majority to approve a bill on Feb. 25, which aims to revise a historic law on the status of Muslims in Austria. Islam has been an official religion in Austria since 1912. The Islam law, known as "Islam Gesetz," was introduced by Austria's last emperor, Franz Josef, after the Austro-Hungarian Empire annexed Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The new Austrian law will now require sermons inside mosques to be conducted in German and prohibits foreign financing for Muslim organizations and structures. It also contains provisions that allow Muslims to take time off during Friday prayers and go on holidays during certain religious festivals.
