“Turkey’s possible Syria op unrelated to US withdrawal”

 

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu spoke to news channel NTV.

"Our operation against the YPG/PKK is not related to whether the U.S. withdraws or not," Çavuşoğlu told.

Çavuşoğlu pointed out that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s announcement that an operation was coming came well before U.S. President Donald Trump’s surprise decision last month to pull out U.S. troops out of Syria.

"We didn’t know that the U.S. would withdraw from Syria. However, whether it withdraws or not, we will do what is necessary against a terrorist organization that poses a threat to our national security," he added. 

"Turkey is determined on this issue," Çavuşoğlu said, adding that Turkey will decide on its timeline for the operation.

"We will not seek permission from anyone on this issue," he added. 

Çavuşoğlu also said Erdoğan will have a bilateral meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. 

He added that Turkish, Russian, and Iranian leaders will also meet to discuss Syria under the Astana format, saying that Moscow will propose a timeline for the meeting.