World Crisis! Islamic State group: Turkey and US ‘ready to invade capital’

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has suggested he and the US are prepared to drive so-called Islamic State (IS) from its Syrian stronghold of Raqqa.

Mr Erdogan said US President Barack Obama floated the idea of joint action against the militants when they met at the G20 summit.

He said Turkey would have “no problem” with such action.

Turkey launched an operation inside Syria.

The US State Department wouldn’t confirm the details of Mr Erdogan’s statement, but an official said it was significant that “local forces” were involved in the fight to produce “an enduring defeat” to IS.

“The actions that Turkey is currently taking along its border with Syria, with US support, is having the important effect of isolating Raqqa,” the official said.

“That is a critical step in our ultimate objective to liberate Raqqa from Isil (IS) control.”

Turkish-backed militia have driven IS in the border town of Jarablus, but Turkey has also been concerned with checking the progress of Kurdish forces whom it regards as terrorists.

Mr Canikli also said 110 Islamic State and Kurdish militia combatants were killed since the operation began.