Turkey will have nothing left to do in the Syrian town of Manbij once "terrorist organizations" leave the area, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday, hours after the Syrian army said it had entered the town.
Earlier Friday, the Syrian army said it had entered Manbij for the first time in years, after the YPG urged Damascus to protect the town from the threat of Turkish attacks.
Turkey has threatened an assault on Manbij to drive out the Kurdish YPG militia, which it regards as a terrorist group. Erdogan signaled Friday that Turkey was not in a hurry to carry out the operation.
"In the current situation, we are still supporting the integrity of Syrian soil. These areas belong to Syria. Once the terrorist organizations leave the area, we will have nothing left to do there," Erdogan told reporters after Friday prayers in Istanbul.
"It's not just about Manbij, we are aiming to wipe out all terrorist organizations in the region. Our main target is that the YPG takes the necessary lesson here," Erdogan said.
Erdogan’s comments came after the Turkish Defense Ministry said YPG has no authority to invite other elements into Manbij, and warned all parties to refrain from destabilizing the region.
The YPG militia "controlling the area with arms does not have the right or power to make a statement or invite other elements on behalf of the local population," the ministry said.
Agencies
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