President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday Turkey aimed to create a safe zone in Syria, extending its military operations to the towns of Manbij and Raqqa after driving Daesh from Al Bab, if it acts together with the US-led coalition.

In a speech in Bahrain, broadcast live on Turkish television, Erdogan said the planned safe zone would cover an area of at least 4,000-5,000 square kilometres and would require a no-fly zone.

He also condemned Israel’s decision to ramp up colonies in the West Bank as an “absolute provocation”.

Israel announced plans last month for 3,000 more colonist homes in the occupied West Bank. It has also retroactively legalised about 4,000 colonist homes built on privately owned Palestinian land, a move that brought condemnation from the United Nations and the European Union.

Erdogan made the comment in a speech in Bahrain, while on an official visit. His comments were carried live on Turkish television. Turkey and Israel normalised ties last year after a six-year rupture when 10 Turkish pro-Palestinian activists were killed by Israeli commandos enforcing a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip

source : gulfnews