President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday his country is determined to destroy what he called a "terror corridor" in northern Syria — regardless of whether or not Türkiye and the United States agree on the establishment of a so-called "safe zone" there.
U.S. and Turkish officials have been holding talks on creating a safe zone east of the Euphrates River to address Türkiye's security concerns stemming from the presence of Syrian Kurdish fighters in the region. Türkiye views the Kurdish fighters — who have battled the Islamic State group alongside U.S. forces — as terrorists, allied with a Kurdish insurgency within Türkiye.
Ankara wants a zone along the border with Syria cleared of the Kurdish fighters and claims such a zone would be safe for Syrians and allow some of the country's refugees to return.
Türkiye has warned of a possible new offensive into Syria if an agreement on a safe zone is not reached, and has recently been sending reinforcements to its border area. Since 2016, Türkiye has launched two cross-border offensives against IS and the Syrian Kurdish fighters.
In an apparent message to U.S.-allied Kurdish militiamen in Syria, Erdogan told party officials that "those who engage in bullying by putting their trust in foreign forces will tomorrow find themselves in the grave."