Erdogan says operation in Syria will be continued if ‘terrorists’ fail to leave in time

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned on Sunday the Peace Spring operation in northern Syria will be continued if "terrorists" fail to leave the area in due time that has been given to them for that.

"Over the nine days of the operation, we have neutralized 765 terrorists, liberated 111 settlements and cleared an area of 1,500 square kilometers of terrorists. If terrorists fail to leave the safe zone within the 120 hours given to them, the operation will be continued. I have told that the American delegation and EU countries," he said in a televised speech in Istanbul.

He once again said he planned to discuss his country’s operation in Syria with Russian President Vladimir Putin when he would be visiting Russia’s Sochi on October 22.

On October 9, Ankara launched its Peace Spring military operation in northern Syria. The operation is geared to establish a buffer zone in Syria’s northern regions, along the Turkish border to send back Syrian refugees from Turkey. Syria’s SANA news agency slammed Ankara’s operation as an act of aggression. The world community has condemned Ankara’s actions.

On October 17, the United States and Turkey reached an agreement to suspend combat operation. Turkey agreed to cease fire for a span of 120 hours to give Kurdish units of the Syrian Democratic Forces time to leave the area of the border security zone Ankara is seeking to create.