Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Tuesday Ankara wanted to work with its allies to capture the Islamic State bastion of Raqqa in Syria, but without the involvement of Syrian Kurdish militants. Turkey may take part in an operation to liberate Syria's Raqqa in a case of an agreement with Russia and the US-led international coalition, Erdoğan said.
He said Turkey was also talking to Moscow because "our solidarity with Russia is also important."
"We have completed the liberation of al-Bab. Now, if necessary, by agreement with the coalition, Russia, we may advance toward Raqqa. Our talks with Russia and... the United States, the coalition, are very important. We will no longer be indifferent observers... If the coalition is sincere in the desire to fight the IS, let us liberate Raqqa as well," Erdoğan told reporters.
"If our allies are really sincere, we tell them: We will act with you so long as we cleanse Raqqa from Daesh and give it back to its original owners," Erdoğan said at an İstanbul airport before leaving for Pakistan. Daesh is an acronym for the Islamic State (IS) group.
Erdoğan ruled out any chance of cooperation with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes the Syrian Kurdish Peoples' Protection Units (YPG) militants. Erdoğan also said that YPG - which Turkey regards as a terrorist organisation - should be moved out to the east of the Euphrates river.
The Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing, YPG, are seen by Washington as the most effective force in the fight against IS but are condemned by Turkey.
Erdoğan said Turkey clearly told Washington it would never cooperate with PYD or YPG.
'MANBIJ IS TURKEY'S NEXT STEP IN SYRIA'
Last August, the Turkish army launched a unilateral military campaign inside Syria, backing Free Syrian Army (FSA) terrorist group to clean its border from Islamic State as well as Syrian Kurdish militants. Compared to the lightning advance at the onset of its "Euphrates Shield" operation, the Turkish army sustained increasing casualties to capture Al-Bab.
On Friday, the Turkish military said together with allied FSA it had completely taken Al-Bab from Islamic State. Erdoğan, who met with Chief of Staff General Hulusi Akar on Monday, said Al-Bab operation was "completed."
Turkey-backed FSA militants will move towards the northern Syrian town of Manbij after completing their operation in al-Bab as originally planned, Erdoğan said.
