Turkey to resume military assault if Kurds don’t leave
ANKARA: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday threatened to resume Turkey’s military offensive in Syria “with greater determination” unless the withdrawal of Kurdish fighters is completed under a Us-brokered deal.
“If the promises given to our country by the US are not kept, we will continue our operation from where we left off with greater determination,” Erdogan told reporters before departing for talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Following a deal with US vicepresident Mike Pence last week, Turkey announced a 120-hour suspension of the offensive from last Thursday under which Kurdish fighters were to withdraw to allow a “safe zone” to be set up along the border.
Erdogan was to meet with Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi later Tuesday as the end of the 120-hour deadline approaches.
“We will have the opportunity to discuss steps to end (Kurdish fighters’) presence in regimeheld areas,” the Turkish leader said.
BAGHDAD: US TROOPS CANNOT STAY IN IRAQ BAGHDAD: US troops leaving Syria and heading to Iraq do not have permission to stay in the country, Iraq’s military said on Tuesday.
The statement appears to contradict US defence secretary Mark Esper, who has said that all US troops leaving Syria will go to western Iraq. A statement by the Iraqi military said, “These forces do not have any approval to remain in Iraq.”
IDLIB FRONT IS MAIN BATTLE, SAYS ASSAD DAMASCUS: Defeating jihadists in Idlib is the key to ending Syria’s civil war, President Bashar al-assad said on Tuesday on his first visit to the embattled northwestern region since 2011.
“The battle of Idlib is the basis for resolving chaos and terrorism in all other areas of Syria,” Assad told troops in the battlefront town of al-hbeit.