Türkiye has reiterated its demand from Russia to push the YPG terrorist organization 30 kilometers away from its borders in line with a 2019-dated bilateral agreement amid its vows to launch a new cross-border offensive against the terrorist presence.
The message was conveyed by both President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone and Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Önal to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin during his two-day-long political consultations over the weekend.
According to a written statement by the presidency, Erdoğan drew attention to the fact that the PKK/YPG’s terrorist attacks against Türkiye continue and underlined the importance of clearing these terrorists up to 30 kilometers from the Turkish border in line with the Sochi protocol of 2019.
The agreement in 2019 obliges Russia to push the YPG terrorists off 30 kilometers from the Turkish border, particularly those in Tal Rifat and Manbij areas. The agreement has not yet been fulfilled by Russia.
Türkiye says it is preparing for a cross-border operation into northern Syria to eliminate the terrorist threat against its citizens and borders. It blamed the YPG for a deadly terror attack in Istanbul in mid-November that killed six civilians. The Turkish Air Forces later launched a massive aerial operation against the YPG/PKK positions in northern Iraq and northern Syria.
hurriyetdailynews.com