Turkey prepares plan to battle IS

Turkey said a US-led coalition will soon launch a “comprehensive battle” against Islamic State militants from Turkish air bases, but Syria said any military action not co-ordinated with Damascus would breach its sovereignty.

Nato-member Turkey agreed to open its air bases to US and coalition aircraft last month, a major change after years of reluctance in taking a frontline role against the Islamist fighters.

Ankara and Washington have been working on plans to provide air cover for a group of US-trained Syrian rebels and jointly sweep Islamic State from a strip of territory stretching 80km along the Turkish frontier.