‘Turkey's op in N Syria to move different phase soon’

Turkey’s counter-terrorism offensives will move forward to a “different phase” in northern Syria soon, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.

“We’II move the process which we started with the Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch operations [in northern Syria] forward to a different phase very soon,” Erdogan told the 11th Ambassadors' Conference in the capital Ankara.

"If needed, Turkey will absolutely protect its national interests [in Syria] either via dialogue, soft power, coercive diplomacy instruments or realpolitik," he stressed.

Turkey expects the creation of a 20-mile (32-kilometer) safe zone in northern Syria and has stressed that it wants the YPG/PYD terror group cleared in the region.

YPG/PKK is the Syrian offshoot of terror group PKK, which has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people in Turkey, including many children, women and infants, for more than 30 years.

Ankara and Washington have yet to hammer an agreement on the safe zone.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said Friday that Ankara has "limited" patience and if efforts to find common ground with the U.S. fail, Ankara will have to create a safe zone in Syria on its own.

The Turkish president said Turkey is determined to tear off the PKK from Iraqi territory.

He called on the U.S.: "We expect clear steps from the U.S. over the extradition of FETO ringleader to Turkey and halting of arming of the PKK/YPG terror groups."

Procurement of S-400 'commercial', not 'strategic'

Erdogan went on to say that country’s procurement of the Russian S-400 missile defense system was a “commercial” rather and “strategic” move, and criticized the U.S. and EU for their biased reactions as they did not give the same response to the NATO members that previously bought S-300 system.

The attitude of Turkey's allies forced Turkish administration to buy Russian defense system, he added.

Although Turkey wanted to buy U.S. Patriot missile system earlier, Washington did not respond positively when they were needed the most, according to Turkish officials, therefore Ankara initiated talks with Russia over purchase of Russian S-400 defense system.

Since 2017, Turkey and the U.S. have been at odds over Turkey's decision to buy the S-400 and the U.S. threats to break its contract to sell Turkey F-35 fighter jets over the dispute.

The U.S. claims the S-400 will be incompatible with NATO systems, an argument Turkey disputes.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that it is up to Turkey to make its own decisions on weapons systems purchases.