If a planned safe zone in northern Syria is not established, and if “threats continue against Ankara,” a military operation will be launched east of the Euphrates river, Reuters quoted Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu as saying on Monday.

Turkey has been in talks with Washington over the establishment of a safe zone across its border in northeast Syria, where the US supports the Kurdish YPG militia. Ankara sees the YPG as a terrorist organization.

Cavusoglu also told broadcaster TGRT Haber that he hopes an agreement will be reached after talks in Ankara on Monday with US special envoy for Syria James Jeffrey.