Erdogan: Joint patrols with Turkey and Russia start Friday
Associated PressISTANBUL — Joint Turkish-Russian patrols will begin Friday in northeastern Syria, following a Russian-brokered cease-fire that promised to have Syrian Kurdish forces withdraw to the south, Turkey’s president said Wednesday. He said Turkey will “respond in the harshest way to any attacks” and that “if needed, we will expand our safe zone.” Turkey invaded northeastern Syria earlier this month to push Syrian Kurdish fighters from the area. Turkey and allied Syrian fighters now control a portion of the previously Kurdish-held border zone, encompassing the towns of Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ayn, as Russian and Syrian government troops move into the rest of the Kurdish-held areas following a deal with the Kurdish force. The meeting has been billed as a Syrian-led process, with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling it an important step in “creating the conditions for a political solution.” Countries including Iran, Russia, Turkey and the United States are keeping close watch.