Turkey, US discuss Ankara’s ongoing military operation in Syria
ANKARA, (MILLAT ONLINE)::The Turkish and US presidents discussed Turkey’s ongoing military offensive in Syria’s Afrin in a phone conversation Wednesday, said the Turkish presidency in a statement, reports Xinhua.
They exchanged views on the latest developments in Syria and the offensive, dubbed Operation Olive Branch, launched by Turkey on Jan. 20 to fight off threats from the People’s Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey assumes as the offshoot of outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The conversation focused on the importance of bilateral cooperation in fighting terrorism, the statement said, noting that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized the goal of the military incursion was to clear Afrin of “terrorist elements” for Turkey’s national security.
A White House statement released following the conversation said US President Donald Trump “relayed concerns that escalating violence in Afrin, Syria, risks undercutting our shared goals in Syria.”
Trump urged Turkey to deescalate, limit its military actions, and avoid civilian casualties and increases of displaced persons and refugees, said the US statement.
“He urged Turkey to exercise caution and to avoid any actions that might risk conflict between Turkish and US forces,” it said in an indirect reference to Turkey’s plans to extend the military operation into Manbij region in Syria where US soldiers are also deployed.
The US president also reiterated that both nations must focus all parties on the shared goal of achieving the lasting defeat of the Islamic State, according to the statement.