Turkey says will hit Kurd militia in Syrian Manbij if they stay - ntv

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday Turkey would strike against U.S.-backed Kurdish YPG militia in the Syrian town of Manbij if they did not leave.

Cavusoglu gave no deadline. Turkey sees the YPG as a hostile force allied to PKK Kurdish militants fighting an insurgency on Turkish soil. It considers their presence in Manbij a hindrance to its efforts to create a "save zone" on Turkish borders.

Cavusoglu said the United States appeared confused in its planning for an attack on the Islamic State's Syrian stronghold of Raqqa. Turkish officials have expressed concern at U.S. plans to enlist the support of YPG fighters in the operation rather than Turkish-backed forces.

(Writing by Ralph Boulton)

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)