A Turkish-backed offensive by Syrian rebels to take the Syrian town of al-Bab from ISIS should conclude soon, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.

“In Syria, we hope to finish the operation of al-Bab in a short time. After it is complete, we are committed to clearing other areas where the terror organizations are nesting, especially Manbij,” Erdogan said.

Manbij is 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of al-Bab. The PYD, considered by Turkey to be the PKK’s Syrian branch, has been trying to gain a foothold there.

President Erdogan also addressed internal security concerns, linking them to the struggle to end terror in Syria.

“A mindset that regards Turkey’s struggle for its own security as ‘interfering with the internal affairs of other states’ is a mindset that does not understand anything.”

“To present the country which is leading the greatest struggle against ISIS as one supporting terrorism is what the terror organization wants.”

The Turkish president also condemned those who supported terror organizations via social media and other channels. He said Turkey would not be divided by such actions.

“There is no point trying to blame the Ortakoy attack on differences in lifestyles. Nobody’s lifestyle is under systematic threat in Turkey. We will never allow this,” Erdogan said in reference to Sunday’s nightclub attack in Istanbul.

Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:48 - GMT 06:48