Alwaght- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened on Wednesday to start a military operation east of the Euphrates river in northern Syria in a "few days".
"It is time to realize our decision to wipe out terror groups east of the Euphrates," Erdogan said in a speech at the Turkish Defense Industry Summit held at the presidential complex in Ankara, Hurriyet Daily News
"We will start the operation in east of the Euphrates in a few days to save it from the separatist terrorist organization," Erdogan added, referring to the YPG. "Turkey's target is never the U.S. soldiers, but rather the members of the terror group."
Erdogan's announcement is considered as a rejection to the US recent plan in Syria. The Pentagon had announced on Dec. 11 that American observation posts in northern Syria, meant to prevent altercations between the Turkish army and US-supported YPG, have been erected, despite Ankara’s request to scrap the move.
The Turkish army since 2016 has already launched two military incursions into Syria, the last of which saw Ankara-backed Syrian militants take the border city of Afrin from Syrian Kurds in March.
