US: Will Turks train Syrian opposition in Turkey?
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Friday that the US wants to know how far Turkey is willing to go in helping train and equip moderate opposition fighters trying to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad, including whether it will conduct training on its own land.
Turkey has agreed to support efforts to train and equip the Syrian opposition, but the US doesn't yet know whether Ankara is willing to do the training inside Turkey itself. Saudi Arabia, for instance, has agreed to host training facilities for Syrian rebels on its territory. US officials are still discussing the details with Turkish officials.
"The specifics that go with train and equip - locations, contributions, trainers - will be part of that conversation," Hagel said in Colombia, his first stop on a six-day trip to South America. "Part of those discussions will include how far Turkey is willing to go. Certainly one of those questions will be, will they be willing to provide training locations."
