ANKARA (Reuters) - Joint military land patrols by Turkish and U.S. forces in northeast Syria are planned to start on Sept. 8, state-owned Anadolu news agency quoted Defense Minister Hulusi Akar as saying on Friday.

The two NATO allies are working to establish what Turkey says will be a “safe zone” along the border in northeast Syria - a region mainly controlled by Kurdish YPG forces - and have conducted multiple joint helicopter patrols over the area.