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Turkish ground troops and tanks have crossed into northern Syria as part of a military operation to eradicate Kurdish fighters from the border area.

Erdogan has accused the US of supporting Kurdish militia, led by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), by sending them weapons and 5,000 trucks.

Rex Tillerson, US Secretary of State, has repeatedly assured Ankara that the US is not seeking to bolster the Kurdish militia with arms.

But speaking today amid intense fighting, Erdogan, who has held power since 2014, blamed the US for forcing him to attack the Syrian city of Afrin.

(Image: GETTY)

“Do not assault our frontiers, do not provoke us. Otherwise, we'll not have enough patience,” he said at a women's congress in the province of Bursa.

“I said this to the respected [former US President Barack] Obama. It is a pity that I did not receive an answer.

“We said: ‘We'll come unexpectedly at night.’ We waited, waited, and then struck.

“Those who say that the US is behind them will not cope with the Turkish people. This is our people's struggle.”

Erdogan has ordered his troops to establish a 30km (19-mile) "safe zone" inside Syrian territory.

The military operation, dubbed “Olive Branch”, is aimed at ridding Afrin of terrorists and isn’t “against our Turkmen, Kurdish or Arab brothers”, Turkey’s deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said.

Turkish troops have advanced at least 5km (3 miles) into Syrian territory, according to local media.

Dramatic pictures show Turkish tanks rolling across the border in the wake of airstrikes against Kurdish militia Ankara has dubbed a “terrorist army”.

(Image: GETTY)

Syria has condemned Turkey for the military operation, which it has described as a violation of its sovereignty.

But the Kurdish YPG militia said Turkish troops have been repelled and have been forced to retreat.

The Kurdish YPG said: "Our people are holding on to their land and do not accept surrender... we repeat our determination to protect our people in Afrin against the attacks.”

Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, said the US had “enraged Turkey” by supporting Kurdish militia and slammed its “inability to negotiate”.