Turkey mulls joining US-led coalition in Iraq

Turkish Defence Minister Ismet Yilmaz on Monday said Turkey will consider taking part in military operations by US-led coalition forces to retake control of Mosul city from the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in Iraq.

Ankara would decide in due course whether to participate in the operations, putting into account the national interests and the responsibilities of being a member of the international coalition, Xinhua news agency reported citing Yilmaz.

So far, Turkey has not taken part in combat operations against the IS, but has been training Peshmerga forces of Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government since November as part of the efforts to defeat IS militants.

Ankara and Washington recently signed a deal to train and equip Syrian rebels at a base in the central Anatolian city of Kirsehir.

Speaking to Iraqi Kurdish online news website Rudaw on Saturday, exiled governor of Mosul, Atheel al-Nujaifi, claimed Turkey would take part in the offensive to recapture Mosul, which has been under IS control since June.