Bloomberg: Erdogan Vows to Extend Offensive to East Syria, North Iraq
* President says may target Kurdish militants in Syria, Iraq
* Erdogan says Manbij, Kobani, Tal Abyad, Sinjar among targets
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, buoyed by his army’s capture of a Kurdish stronghold in northwest Syria, threatened to extend the offensive against separatist Kurdish militants to eastern Syria and northern Iraq.
Turkey’s military will shift their campaign to several towns under the control of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, including Manbij, Kobani, Tal Abyad, Rasulayn and Qamishli, “until this terror corridor is fully eliminated,” Erdogan said Monday. Turkey’s threat to attack Manbij, where U.S. troops are based, has put Ankara at loggerheads with Washington, and talks between the NATO allies have so far yielded no agreement. The U.S. also has a diplomatic presence in Kobani.
Read more ....
Update #1: Turkey vows to widen offensive to eastern Syria, Iraq (AP)
Update #2: Erdogan says Turkey may extend Afrin campaign along whole Syrian border (Reuters)
WNU Editor: The U.S. is warning Turkey .... US 'deeply concerned' with situation in Syrian city taken by Turkey (The Hill). and the EU has condemned Turkey .... European Union criticizes Turkey's offensive in Syrian town of Afrin (PBS NewsHour). But I do not think Erdogan is listening.
