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ISTANBUL: Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan instructed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday it was important to create a “secure zone” inside Syria close to the Turkish border, his workplace mentioned.
Underneath a 2019 settlement, Russia and Turkey agreed Russian army police and Syrian border guards would begin driving a Syrian Kurdish militia 30 kilometres (19 miles) away from the Turkish border.
Ankara views the militia as a terrorist organisation.
Erdogan instructed Putin in a telephone name that “a terror-free zone with a depth of 30 kilometres from the Turkish border… was not established, and that it is crucial to make these areas safe,” in response to the Turkish presidency.
He pointed to the Kurdish militants’ “continued assaults” aimed toward Turkey.
Erdogan mentioned final week Turkey would quickly launch a brand new army operation into northern Syria to create a “secure zone” alongside the border.
The USA has warned in opposition to launching a brand new operation, saying the uneasy NATO ally can be placing US troops in danger.
Turkey has launched three offensives into Syria since 2016 aimed toward crushing Syrian Kurdish fighters who assisted the US-led marketing campaign in opposition to the Islamic State extremist group.
Ankara alleges these fighters are allied with the Kurdistan Staff’ Social gathering (PKK), which has waged an insurgency in opposition to the Turkish state since 1984 and is listed as a terror group by the European Union and america.
Underneath a 2019 settlement, Russia and Turkey agreed Russian army police and Syrian border guards would begin driving a Syrian Kurdish militia 30 kilometres (19 miles) away from the Turkish border.
Ankara views the militia as a terrorist organisation.
Erdogan instructed Putin in a telephone name that “a terror-free zone with a depth of 30 kilometres from the Turkish border… was not established, and that it is crucial to make these areas safe,” in response to the Turkish presidency.
He pointed to the Kurdish militants’ “continued assaults” aimed toward Turkey.
Erdogan mentioned final week Turkey would quickly launch a brand new army operation into northern Syria to create a “secure zone” alongside the border.
The USA has warned in opposition to launching a brand new operation, saying the uneasy NATO ally can be placing US troops in danger.
Turkey has launched three offensives into Syria since 2016 aimed toward crushing Syrian Kurdish fighters who assisted the US-led marketing campaign in opposition to the Islamic State extremist group.
Ankara alleges these fighters are allied with the Kurdistan Staff’ Social gathering (PKK), which has waged an insurgency in opposition to the Turkish state since 1984 and is listed as a terror group by the European Union and america.
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