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Erdogan confirms Syrian opposition fully controls border town of Jarablus

The Islamic State terrorists were compelled to flee the city
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Mikhail Metzel/TASS
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

ANKARA, August 24. /TASS/. Units of the Syrian Free Army has established full control over Jarablus and terrorists have been compelled to flee it, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday after talks with visiting US Vice-President Joseph Biden.

"Jarablus is located 20 km to 30 km away from our border and we said more than once we were concerned about the missiles launched from there that hit our territory," Erdogan said. "As a result, we took a decision after consultations with the international coalition (to conduct an operation on the Syrian territory - TASS," Erdogan said.

"The Turkish Army and the Syrian Free Army entered Jarablus with support from the air by forces of the coalition," he said.

"The Syrian Free Army and residents of Jarablus have re-established full control over the town," Erdogan said. "They have recaptured all the governmental and official buildings."

He said the Islamic State militants were compelled to flee the city.

As he mentioned the broader prospects for settling the conflict in Syriua, Erdogan surmised that Syria would not be successful in changing over to democracy under President Bashar Assad’s leadership.