Speaking at the opening ceremony of a natural gas terminal in the coastal town of Izmir, Erdogan said the Free Syrian Army, with the backing of Turkish forces, would soon capture al-Bab.
Erdogan’s remarks came as Turkish army pounded ISIS targets in al-Bab. Footage released by Turkish army on Friday showed building destroyed by an airstrike.
The Turkey-backed Syrian opposition fighters have been besieging the ISIS-held town of al-Bab for weeks, while clashes between the extremists and opposition have intensified in recent days.
Sixteen soldiers were killed this week in recent attacks by ISIS near the northern Syrian town of al-Bab.
On Thursday ISIS in Syria released a video purporting to show two captured Turkish soldiers being burned to death, according to the US-based SITE Intelligence Group which monitors militant groups online.
Meanwhile, at least 80 civilians were killed by airstrikes on residential areas in the city, according to ISIS-affiliated website,Amaq, which showed tender bodies of children being recovered by rescuers from under the rubble.
Funeral ceremonies were held in Western province of Bursa, for two soldiers killed in al-Bab. Thousands of people attended funeral services for soldiers Ferhat Demir and Bulent Albayrak, private Dogan news agency reported.
The Euphrates Shield operation is largely focused on combating ISIS, but Ankara is also determined to prevent the Kurdish YPG militia, which it sees as a hostile force, from linking cantons it controls along the border.
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