(AhlulBayt News Agency) - Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu commented on the current Euphrates Shield military operation and said Turkey may move a further 45 kilometers in northern Syria amid efforts to establish a de facto safe zone, during an interview given to France 24 television channel on Saturday. "Initially, we [Turkey] may move at least 45 kilometers down and we must move further down in order to seal off the Manbij region. Then, a 5,000 kilometer de facto safe zone can be established," Foreign Minister Cavusoglu said.
Continuing on to reaffirm that the PKK's Syrian offshoot the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Syria is a terrorist group affiliated with the PKK, Cavusoglu said U.S. cooperation with the PYD is unacceptable for Turkey. While Turkish officials met with U.S. officials in New York during the U.N. Summit, Minister Cavusoglu stated that all evidence on U.S.-based Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) leader Fethullah Gülen has been submitted to American officials as the Turkish minister stated that "Turkey now awaits the extradition of Gülen."
In his interview, Cavusoglu suggested that Turkish troops would march ahead to take the Syrian city of Raqqah. He touted the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces which helped Turkish troops in the incursion, saying they should serve as a model for the campaign to take back Raqqah.
He also denied allegations that Turkey had entered Syria to attack the PYD/YPG Kurdish group, but warned that the US had not fulfilled its promise to Turkey that those groups would not cross the Euphrates.
Cavusoglu also blasted Washington for arming the PYD/YPG group, calling it "unacceptable."
On Saturday, head of FSA's northern division Colonel Fares al-Bayoush said militants in Syria were about to receive new types of heavy weapons from their foreign supporters.
The United States, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have been channeling military support to militants fighting under the banner of the FSA for several years.
The support for the militants described by Washington as “moderate” also includes training by the Central Intelligence Agency.
The fresh arming of the militants comes as the Syrian army is pushing ahead with a large-scale operation to drive Takfiri terrorists out of Aleppo.
Cavusoglu squarely blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies for the failure of a recent ceasefire which collapsed after the US and its allies killed 82 Syrian soldiers in airstrikes.
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26 September 2016 - 13:14
News ID: 781577
Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu commented on the current Euphrates Shield military operation and said Turkey may move a further 45 kilometers in northern Syria amid efforts to establish a de facto safe zone, during an interview given to France 24 television channel on Saturday. "Initially, we [Turkey] may move at least 45 kilometers down and we must move further down in order to seal off the Manbij region. Then, a 5,000 kilometer de facto safe zone can be established," Foreign Minister Cavusoglu said.
