Turkey to continue operation in Syria, toughen terrorist crackdown - Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara will continue to “liberate Syrian lands” and act more decisively against terrorist organizations after securing a victory for another presidential term in the election. Turkish troops have been in Syria since September 2016, targeting Kurdish fighters linked to the People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia, who Ankara considers terrorists, in and around Afrin. They are also present in Manbij in the north of the country. Ankara and Washington agreed on a “roadmap” for the Kurds’ withdrawal from that area earlier this month , while the Syrian government condemned the presence of both there.