Erdogan warns Syria offensive to continue

Turkey will continue its offensive into northeast Syria more rapidly than before if an agreement with the US to pause the operation and allow the withdrawal of Kurdish forces is not fully implemented, President Tayyip Erdogan says.

Erdogan also told journalists it was not a problem for Turkey if Syrian government forces, backed by Russia, were to enter areas cleared of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, adding that Ankara had no intention to stay in areas under its control in northern Syria.

He also said he had informed US President Donald Trump about the offensive in a phone call on October 6, three days before the operation started.

He added that "what is necessary will be done when the time is right" about a letter from Trump in which the US president told Erdogan to not be a "fool" and "tough guy".