Belgium: 'The fight against ISIS is not over' - NATO Chief Stoltenberg

M/S NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg
SOT, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General: "NATO allies have been present in northern Syria as part of the global coalition to defeat Daesh or ISIS. And that's the reason why NATO allies, United States, went into northern Syria and we have been able to defeat the physical Caliphate. We have to remember that NATO is part of the global coalition, all NATO allies are part of the global coalition. NATO is present on the ground in Iraq, we provide support to the global coalition with our AWACS flights and the global coalition led by United States has made enormous progress, we have defeated the physical Caliphate. Not so long ago, ISIS controlled big parts of Syria and Iraq. Now they don't control any territory anymore and millions of people have been liberated. That's the reason why we went in, that's the reason why the global coalition was established and we have to make sure that we preserve those gains, that we don't jeapordise those gains and that we understand that the fight against ISIS is not over. They can come back and that's the reason why for instance we continue to train the Iraqi airforces."
W/S Stoltenberg *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General: "It is a bit too early to judge the consequences, the outcome of the statement, the agreement between President Erdogan and President Putin. I met with President Erdogan a few days ago and of course we discussed the situation in northern Syria. I expressed my deep concerns about the situation and the risk of increased human suffering and increased tensions. But I also recognise of course that no other ally has suffered more terrorist attacks and no other ally is hosting more refugees than Syria and therefore has some legitimate security concerns."
M/S Stoltenberg *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General: "I said that the fight against ISIS is not over and that's absolutely correct and you are right referring to that, but we have to distinguish between two things. The Caliphate, the physical Caliphate they controlled in Iraq and Syria, they don't control anymore. They have lost control over all the territory and all the people they suppressed or controlled in Iraq and Syria. That's a great achievement and the only way we were able to achieve that was through the US-led global coalition to defeat ISIS, that we joined forces and that we worked together and made that great progress and defeated the physical Caliphate."
SCRIPT
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated that "the fight against ISIS is not over" during a press conference in Brussels, on Wednesday.
"We understand that the fight against ISIS is not over. They can come back and that's the reason why for instance we continue to train the Iraqi airforces," stated Stoltenberg, adding that "they don't control any territory anymore and millions of people have been liberated."
On Turkey's incursion into northern Syria, the NATO Chief commented that "I expressed my deep concerns about the situation and the risk of increased human suffering and increased tensions. But I also recognise of course that no other ally has suffered more terrorist attacks and no other ally is hosting more refugees than Syria and therefore has some legitimate security concerns."
On the recent agreement between Russia and Turkey in northern Syria, Stoltenberg added that "It is a bit too early to judge the consequences."
Turkey's military offensive, dubbed 'Operation Peace Spring,' began on October 9, days after the White House announced a withdrawal of US troops from the area. Ankara says the aim of the offensive is to create a 'safe zone' cleared of Kurdish groups.