Prime Minister Erdogan said Turkey will fight the Islamic State “and all other terrorist organizations in the region.” Turkey is planning to establish safe havens inside northern Syria to protect areas controlled by the Free Syrian Army and the Islamic Front. The government is also asking Parliamentary approval for deployment of Turkish troops abroad and allowing foreign troop deployments on Turkish territory. Deputy Prime Minister Arınç claimed that the Islamic State is advancing on the Turkish enclave around the tomb of Suleyman Shah in northern Syria. Turkey added Ansar al Sharia Tunisia and the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, along with 14 UN-designated terrorists, to its list of people and entities associated with al Qaeda. Police arrested three alleged Islamic State sympathizers at Istanbul University. New NATO head Jens Stoltenberg reaffirmed NATO’s commitment to protect Turkey.
