MURSITPINAR: Turkey on Monday deployed tanks and armoured vehicles to reinforce its border with Syria, as parliament was set to consider whether to authorise military action against the jihadists.

The army moved tanks and armoured vehicles to the border town of Mursitpinar, which lies across from the key Kurdish town of Ain al Arab, after some stray bullets hit Turkish villages, sparking retaliation from Turkey’s military under its “rules of engagement”.

The Turkish government said on Monday it would shortly submit motions to parliament authorising the armed forces to take action in Iraq and Syria, so Ankara can join the US-led coalition against fighters of the Islamic State (IS), formerly known as Islamic State of Iraq and Al Sham (ISIS)..

“The motions have not yet been sent to parliament. They may come tomorrow (Tuesday),” parliamentary speaker Cemil Cicek was quoted as saying by a television channel.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said the motions will be debated on Thursday.

Turkey had refused to join a broad anti-IS coalition led by the United States while dozens of its citizens, including diplomats and children, were being held by IS militants after having been abducted from the Turkish consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

After securing their freedom in a top-secret operation which reportedly resulted in the release of 50 IS fighters, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the country’s position had changed, signalling a more robust stance towards the IS group.

“We will hold discussions with our relevant institutions this week. We will definitely be where we need to be,” Erdogan said on Sunday.

The government hopes parliament will approve the military action before the Eid holiday.

Up to 15,000 refugees crossed into Turkey on Monday, a Turkish official said, saying that the border was “open to civilians, as well as to their cars and animals”.

Published in Dawn, September 30th , 2014