Cavusoglu: Turkey determined to cross to east of Euphrates

Turkey is determined to cross to the east of the Euphrates river in northern Syria as soon as possible, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Tuesday (Dec. 25), DS reported.

Cavusoglu noted that the developments about the US' withdrawal from Syria should not serve the terrorist PKK-linked People's Protection Units (YPG).

"Turkey will enter Syria if it says so," Cavusoglu said, as Ankara decided to delay its third military operation in northern Syria amid diplomatic traffic with Washington and said it would wait for the US to withdraw from the region.

He said that Turkey and the US agreed to complete Manbij roadmap by the time the latter fully completes its withdrawal from Syria.

The foreign minister noted that he will be visiting Russia soon to discuss the withdrawal process.

Cavusoglu also warned France that its presence in Syria to protect terrorist YPG would help neither France nor the YPG.

Last Wednesday, Washington announced it would be withdrawing all of its troops from Syria, following a conversation between Erdogan and his US counterpart Donald Trump over an imminent Turkish cross-border operation to eliminate the PKK-affiliated People's Protection Units (YPG) from northern Syria.