(MENAFN) On Wednesday, Turkey requested from the United States to ban militias from entering Afrin to battle against Turkish offensive.
The Pentagon said on Monday that Turkey's Afrin offensive caused an "operational pause" in their anti-ISIL activities.
"The US is expected to step in to stop YPG/PYD forces shifting - under US control - from Manbij to Afrin," Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said in televised remarks.
"This is our most natural right. Whether they do it or not is a separate question but we have taken all the necessary measures on the ground," he added.
Ankara, since January 20th, has launched a large-scale military offensive against the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Afrin. The attack has so far resulted in scores of civilian casualties and displacement of thousands.
Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought a three-decade insurgency in Turkey and is deemed a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union and Turkey. The YPG has been an important ally for the United States in the fight against Islamic State.
MENAFN0803201800450000ID1096559711
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.