BALADI NEWS
Turkey’s counter-terrorism offensives will move forward to a “different phase” in northern Syria soon, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.
“We’ll move the process which we started with the Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch operations [in northern Syria] forward to a different phase very soon,” Erdogan told the 11th Ambassadors' Conference in the capital Ankara.
Erdogan also stressed that Turkey will pay a heavy price later if it does not do what is necessary in northern Syria today.
"If needed, Turkey will absolutely protect its national interests in Syria either via dialogue, soft power, coercive diplomacy instruments or realpolitik," he added.
Turkey expects the creation of a 32-kilometre (20-mile) safe zone in northern Syria and has stressed that it wants the YPG/PYD terror group cleared in the region.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday that Ankara has "limited" patience and if efforts to find common ground with Washington fail, Turkey will have to create a safe zone in Syria on its own.
Source: TRT World.