Turkey in agreement with Russia over operations in Syria’s Afrin: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey has reached an agreement with Russia over Ankara’s latest military operation against US-backed Kurdish militants in northern Syria, vowing that his country would not retreat a step from the ongoing operation.

The Turkish leader made the remarks during a televised speech he delivered in the capital Ankara, adding that the Turkish army would take control of the northwestern Syrian city of Afrin as it had done in other Syrian cities of Jarablus, Ra'i and Bab, and that Syrians would be able to return home.

“We are determined. Afrin will be sorted out. We will take no step back. We spoke about this with our Russian friends. We have an agreement,” Erdogan added.

Erdogan’s comments came two days after his country launched the so-called Operation Olive Branch in a bid to eliminate the US-backed YPG, which Ankara views as a terror organization and the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The latter has been fighting for an autonomous region inside Turkey since 1984.

The operation was launched days after Washington said it would work with the Kurdish militants to set up a 30,000-strong border force near Turkish soil, a move that infuriated Ankara.

The YPG, which is operating as part of the larger US-backed Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militant coalition, is purportedly fighting against terrorists without obtaining any official authorization from Damascus, which calls the forces “traitors” to the Syrian nation.

Reports, however, say that no official confirmation from the Kremlin regarding the existence of such an agreement has been given yet.  

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Turkish leader asserted that Ankara had spoken with other powers, including the US, about the military intervention, but acknowledged that “we couldn't convince the US on some things.” Erdogan, however, did not give further details.

SS