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Erdogan says that withdrawal of Kurdish forces from buffer zone in Syria not complete

Turkey considers Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) to be a terrorist organization
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan EPA-EFE/WILL OLIVER
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
© EPA-EFE/WILL OLIVER

ANKARA, December 15. /TASS/. Russia and the United States have not facilitated the complete withdrawal of People's Protection Units (YPG) from the zone on the Syrian territory bordering Turkey, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told A Haber TV channel on Sunday.

Turkey considers the YPG to be a terrorist organization. "The US and Russia have not succeeded in facilitating the complete withdrawal of terrorist organizations from the region," Erdogan said adding that "Turkey is full of resolve on fighting against terrorism."

"There are still terrorists in Manbij," Erdogan said noting that "local tribes ask Turkey for help in getting rid of them."

The Turkish president also said that "the YPG sell oil to the Syrian regime." "They work together in the Deir ez-Zor region," he added.

On October 9, Ankara started its Peace Spring operation in Syria's north with the aim of establishing a buffer zone there that was supposed to become a protective belt for the Turkish border. On October 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a memoranudm in Sochi on joint actions on settling the situation in Syria's northeast. In accordance with the memorandum, Russian military police and Syrian border guards entered the regions bordering Turkey's 30-kilometer security zone on October 23. On October 29, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said that the Kurds have completed withdrawing forces from the area. On November 1, Russian and Turkish militaries have started conducting joint patrol missions to the east of the Euphrates river.