Turkish PM's office proposes bill on sending troops abroad

Prime Minister's office has presented to the Turkish parliament a bill that extends the government's mandate for sending Turkish troops abroad, as the Grand Assembly starts working after a two-and-a-half month holiday break. The bill, undersigned by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, cites the lingering instability and violence in neighboring Syria as reason to extend the mandate, set to expire on October 4. The text of the proposal recalls deaths of 71 Turkish nationals in the Syria-originated attacks, the August 21 chemical attack that killed nearly 1,500 people, as well as the long-drawn-out civil war, which the bill says has brought over 500,000 Syrian shelter-seekers to Turkey. It also makes references to UN resolutions on September 16 and 27 regarding the use of chemical weapons in Syria. "The developments (in Syria) show that the regime has reached a point where it is ready and willing to use every method or weapon that goes against international norms. "Turkey remains the most vulnerable to attacks of every kind that can be perpetrated by the Syrian regime, as well as the state of uncertainty and chaos within the country," the bill says.