BRUSSELS/ISTANBUL — NATO offered political support for Turkey's campaign against militants in Syria and Iraq at an emergency meeting on Tuesday, and President Tayyip Erdogan signaled the alliance may have a "duty" to become more involved. Turkey requested urgent consultations with its 27 NATO allies in Brussels after stepping up its role in the US-led fight against Daesh (the so-called IS) with airstrikes, also hitting Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) camps in Iraq at the weekend. "We stand in strong solidarity with our ally Turkey," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told alliance ambassadors at the start of a meeting he called right and timely "to address instability on Turkey's doorstep and on NATO's border". In the run-up, both NATO and Turkey played down any idea that the military alliance might provide air or ground support for Turkey's dramatic change in strategy. NATO rules provide for mutual support if an ally comes under attack, although Turkey has not invoked Article 5 of the North Atlantic treaty which requires allied nations to consider military action. "If a NATO member country comes under attack, NATO would support it in every way," Erdogan said. "At the moment, Turkey has come under attack and is exercising its right to defend itself and will exercise this right until the end... but what we're saying is that there could be a duty for NATO, and we ask NATO to be prepared for this." — Reuters
