Turkey mulls possible Syria operation east of Euphrates – military

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar met with military officials to discuss a possible operation in northern Syria. The ministry’s statement on Thursday came a day after Ankara warned it would act if a planned safe zone could not be agreed with the United States.

Ankara said on Wednesday it had “run out of patience” with the US in talks over the formation of the zone.

Turkish and US officials held a series of meetings on the planned safe zone and other developments in the region, Reuters said.

“We conveyed our views and requests to the delegation that came here. We expect them to evaluate these and answer us immediately,” the ministry quoted Akar as saying. “We emphasized to them once again that we have no tolerance for any delays, and that we will use our initiative if necessary.”