Erdogan’s spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, revealed that the Turkish leader had met separately a second time with Russian and U.S. counterparts Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama before leaving the G20 meeting in Hangzhou.
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Turkey has been alarmed by USA support for the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia which Ankara sees as a “terrorist” group linked to its own Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) which has been waging a bloody campaign against the Turkish state.
Turkish forces and the Ankara-backed rebels are pressing on with the operation inside Syria, which is also targeting a Kurdish militia Ankara regards as a terrorist group.
The offensive continues, and Russian Federation, who’s allied to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says it’s greatly anxious by the movement of Turkish forces into Syrian territory.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dropped hints on Wednesday that the United States and Turkey were prepared to invade Raqqa, Syria – the Islamic State’s de facto capital. One of the wounded soldiers died despite efforts to save him, according to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency.
“Obama wants to do some things jointly concerning Raqqa”, Mr Erdogan said. We said this would not be a problem from our perspective, ” he said, stressing, “More discussions would follow”. “We said, ‘Let our soldiers come together, whatever is necessary will be done, ‘” he said.
Ankara has said the YPG must be made to withdraw to the eastern banks of the Euphrates river or it will be a legitimate target.
But on Tuesday Isis killed three Turkish troops and wounded four more when the Islamists hit tanks with missiles.
Nurettin Canikli said Turkey would supply electricity to Jarablus on Saturday followed by water supplies days later. The U.S. considers the YPG as its ally in the war against ISIS, and Washington had previously asked Ankara to collaborate with the group in its operations against ISIS.
Turkey does not have the option of taking a step back on Syria or else terror groups will fill in the gap, Erdoğan added.
He said its was open to working with “national forces” to drive Turkish troops from all territories between Jarabulus and Iskanderun – the Syrian province annexed by Turkey in 1939.
“From now on, we have to demonstrate our presence in the region”, he said.
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The photographer said some 250 residents, including children, who had fled DAESH rule in Jarablus for Turkey in the last months were returning to their home Wednesday in a first wave of resettlement.
