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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the leaders of Russia and Iran, Vladimir Putin and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Tuesday that he expects their full support as Ankara fights “terrorists” in Syria.
Erdogan’s comments at a summit in Tehran came after weeks of warnings that Turkey could soon launch a new military offensive in the war-torn northern regions of the country.
Moscow and Tehran have supported the Damascus government in the Syrian conflict, while Ankara has supported the Syrian rebels.
Both Russia and Iran have military presence in parts of Syria, which have been mentioned as possible targets in Turkey’s new attacks.
Erdogan accuses Kurdish militants of using the border region as a staging post for a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.
“What we expect from Russia and Iran is their support for Turkey in its fight against terrorism,” Erdogan said in several televised statements.
Erdogan has mentioned that Turkey signed an agreement with Moscow and Washington in 2019, which provides that both countries will help to remove Kurdish militants, 30 kilometers from the Syria-Turkey border.
“This has not happened yet,” Erdogan said.
The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has told Erdogan that the Turkish offensive would be “harmful” for the region.
Washington and Moscow have also called on Turkey to show restraint.
In past campaigns, Turkey has targeted the regions of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The PKK has been declared a terrorist organization by Ankara, Washington and the European Union.
However, the Syrian branch of the PKK has played a key role in the US-led campaign against the extremist group, the Islamic State in Syria.
“It must be clearly understood that there is no place for terrorist organizations in the future of our region,” Erdogan said.
“We will continue the fight against terrorist organizations in the future.”
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