Erdogan Threatens to Launch New Operation in North Syria If Kurdish Units Remain - Sputnik International

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Ankara was ready to launch another military operation to clear northern Syria from Kurdish militia.


"When we destroyed the terrorist corridor that was being built along our borders, we showed that our Syrian brothers were not alone. The terrorist zones that still exist in Syria must either be cleared as promised, or we will come and do it ourselves," Erdogan said at an event in Hatay province via video link.

The Turkish leader added that "any steps that could lead to a new humanitarian catastrophe in Syrian Idlib were unacceptable for Turkey."

Turkish troops, in cooperation with Syrian opposition groups loyal to Ankara, have participated in a number of military operations in Syria against Kurdish militants, such as the Olive Branch operation in Afrin and the Euphrates Shield. The most recent of them, Operation Peace Spring in northwestern Syria, was put on hold last October.