Rahshan Saglam

Press TV, Istanbul

The Turkish president says Ankara is preparing to launch an offensive against a Kurdish militant group in northern Syria very soon despite US warnings.

Turkey and the US are on a collision course as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to eliminate the Kurdish YPG militants in northern Syria, a move that the Pentagon says is unacceptable.

Erdogan assured Ankara’s right of self-defense, speaking on the threats coming from northern Syria and militant groups supported by Washington. The president also reiterated the importance of creating a safe zone along the Syrian border and how it will eliminate threats coming from Syria.

This comes as talks between American and Turkish military officials are underway in the Turkish capital Ankara. US defense secretary Mark Esper earlier has announced that Washington intends to prevent Turkey from launching its anti-terror operation against YPG and PYD forces.

The United States had initially backed the Kurdish forces against Daesh. However, the militant group now controls large areas north of Syria, and Turkey has expressed its worries about the presence of Kurdish militants at its borders. Other regional countries have also expressed their worries about the creation of a Kurdish corridor controlled by the US in northern Syria.

Turkey had time and again asked its NATO ally to stop arming and supporting Kurdish militants in Syria. However, it seems the US has another plan in mind. With Erdogan’s threats now, it seems Washington has to get its priorities right.