A military operation against the Kurdish YPG militia, which Turkey has pledged to carry out in northern Syria, is not dependent on a US pull-out from the region, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says. In an interview with broadcaster NTV on Thursday, Cavusoglu said it was not realistic to expect the US to fully collect weapons it gave to its YPG allies. Ankara views the YPG as a terrorist group. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that the US troop withdrawal from Syria will not be nixed despite Turkish threats against Washington’s Kurdish allies there. Pompeo also promised to ensure that the Kurds would still be protected, Reuters reported.