Ankara sees the opportunity for cooperation with the USA as a chance to kill two birds with one stone that will both hit Islamic State (IS formerly ISIS/ISIL) and Kurdish fighters, who they also consider terrorists. “This calls into question the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic”, it said, adding, “We call on Ankara to refrain from any steps which can further destabilize the situation in Syria”.
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Ankara, London- Turkey’s President Recep Tayip Erdogan had revealed on Wednesday a U.S.
An operation in Raqqa would entail an expansion of cooperation on Syria between Turkey and the United States, NATO allies whose relations have been strained over Syria policy.
He said Turkish and US military officials could meet to discuss capturing Raqqa, the de facto capital of Islamic State.
Turkey has urged world powers to back plans for a “safe zone” in northern Syria to stem the flow of migrants but it’s so far failed to win support for the idea.
Two rebels from the Free Syrian Army were also killed, other Turkish media reports said.
Loaded with luggage and possessions, hundreds of civilians began returning to Jarabulus on Wednesday, forming long queues at the border gate outside the Turkish town of Karkamis, an AFP photographer said.
He said there were 292 people in the first group of registered returnees, including women, children and the elderly.
Mr Erdogan gave few other details but said more discussions would follow.
President Erdogan added: “At this stage we have to show our presence in the region”. “What can be done on the issue is related to the US stance”, he concluded.
But Turkey on Tuesday sustained its biggest loss of life in the operation to date, with three soldiers killed in an IS rocket attack on their tanks.
OCHA says a dozen schools in rural areas and four mosques in the city of Hama were converted into temporary shelters.
Turkey has been an active player in the fight against the twisted terror network, rolling its tanks into Syria last month to push ISIS fighters back from the border.
“Obama wants to do some things together concerning Raqqa in particular”, Erdogan told reporters on his plane that arrived early on Tuesday, referring to Islamic State’s de facto capital.
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Turkey has also turned its attention to Kurdish rebel groups in the region, reaffirming its stance that all armed forces fighting on the border are “terrorists”, including the US-backed Kurdish YPG militia.
