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Turkey to start train-equip program for Syrian opposition before March

19 December 2014 18:52 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Turkey could start the training of Syrian opposition before March 2015 as part of efforts to degrade and defeat Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

"We have reached a clarified framework on training and equipping of Syrian opposition in negotiations with the U.S.," Cavusoglu told reporters in the Turkish capital of Ankara.

Turkey and the U.S. have been in talks for training program of moderate Syrian rebels in Hirfanli military base in central Anatolia of Turkey.

The U.S. will assume equipping of Syrian rebels, according to the planned program.

Turkey declined to be a fully-fledged part of the anti-IS coalition unless Washington agrees to adopt an "integrated strategy" that also targets the removal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power.

However, Washington said the priority is not Assad but militant threat from the IS.