Turkey believes the YPG is a ‘terrorist offshoot’ of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which has been blacklisted as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies. The YPG is a key US ally in the war against the Islamic State so a military operation could incite tensions between the two allies. During a speech in Ankara, Mr Erdogan said: “We will start an operation to free the east of the Euphrates from the separatist terrorist organisation in the next few days.
“The target is never American soldiers but terrorist organisation members active in the region.”
Washington’s relationship with the YPG is seen as one of the main sources of tension between Turkey and the US.
Mr Erdogan’s comments come a day after the Pentagon announced the setting up of US observation posts on the northeast Syria border region in a bid to prevent disputes between the Turkish army and the YPG.
A YPG spokesperson said: “We take Erdogan’s threats against us very seriously. He has repeatedly expressed his desire to occupy our land in northeast Syria.
“Our partners in the US led coalition are well aware of these Turkish moves because a Turkish attack against us can also impact the US efforts to defeat terrorists.”
Turkey and the United States agreed on a roadmap for Manbij in June, which would mean the withdrawal of the YPG forces.
The US Special Representative for Syria Engagement visited Turkey last week and Erdogan urged him to remove observation outposts built on the Syrian border to prevent clashes between Turkey and Kurdish forces.
U.S. Pentagon spokesman Commander Sean Robertson said: ”Unilateral military action into northeast Syria by any party, particularly as U.S. personnel may be present or in the vicinity, is of grave concern. We would find any such actions unacceptable.”
Experts have claimed the flat topography of Turkey could give the country’s military the advantage against the lightly armed YPG forces.