Erdogan: Our forces in the east of the Euphrates soon

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Turkish ground forces would enter a planned safe area in northern Syria "very soon," adding that if there was a delay from partners, Ankara would resort to implementing its own plans.

Turkey and the United States agreed this month to set up a joint center on the planned safe zone along Syria's northeast border, but gave no details on the size of the area or the command structure of the troops that will operate there.

"We are making slow progress in our efforts to establish a safe area," Erdogan said. "Like many of the issues that some thought were not debatable, we are putting the East Euphrates issue on track."

Turkey has repeatedly said it will not accept any delay from US officials in implementing the deal, and has warned it will launch a cross-border attack to expel the Syrian Kurdish YPG if necessary.

Erdogan said progress had been made in plans to establish the safe zone, but added that Turkey had prepared to implement its own plans if its hopes were not fulfilled.

Special plans
"Our priority is dialogue and cooperation," Erdogan said.

His comments come two days after Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said the joint operations center was operational. He said US forces had destroyed some YPG positions in the area as part of the deal.

Akar said on Monday talks were under way for Turkish and US soldiers to start joint patrols in the safe area "soon."

Akar also stressed the high pace of Turkish security forces at all levels in the fight against terrorism, whether in Iraq or northern Syria. He stressed that his country will never allow the establishment of a "terrorist corridor" in southern Turkey.

Relations between Ankara and Washington have been strained by a number of issues, including conflicting interests in Syria.

On the other hand, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that it is not possible to organize joint patrols of the Russian and Turkish armies in the demilitarized zone in the Syrian province of Idlib.

He added that the Syrian army's restoration of its territory with Russian support is not a breach of any understandings, including the Astana and Sochi consensuses, as the agreements exclude terrorist groups.

Lavrov explained that Russia discussed with Turkish partners the need to form a tape free of weapons in Idlib, so as not to attack the positions of the Syrian army and Russian forces in Hmeimim.