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Turkey ready to create safe zone in Syria alone, president says

Erdogan added that "Turkey and the US will have a lot to do after terrorists withdraw from the safe zone"

ISTANBUL, October 18. /TASS/. Ankara is ready to act alone to create a safe zone in Syria, regardless of an agreement reached with the US, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a meeting with foreign reporters in Istanbul on Friday, which particularly involved a TASS correspondent.

"A safe zone in Syria is supposed to be created in cooperation with the US but if necessary, Turkey is ready to act alone," he pointed out.

Erdogan added that "Turkey and the US will have a lot to do after terrorists withdraw from the safe zone." According to the Turkish leader, Ankara doesn’t plan to "continue an endless fight against terrorists" ins Syria because "it is the responsibility of the Syrian regime."

US-Turkey agreement

On October 9, Ankara announced the launch of Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria. The operation’s goal is said to create a buffer zone along the Turkish border, where, according to Ankara, Syrian refugees residing in Turkey could return. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) slammed the operation as aggression. The international community condemned Ankara’s move.

On Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US Vice President Michael Pence held talks in Ankara. Pence said following the meeting that the parties had agreed on a pause in the Turkish offensive in northern Syria to give Kurdish units a chance to leave the border safe zone that Ankara is creating. "The Turkish side will pause Operation Peace Spring in order to allow the withdrawal of YPG from the safe zone within 120 hours. Operation Peace Spring will be halted upon completion of this withdrawal," the agreement reads.

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